TODAY: Atlanta has confirmed in an announcement that both Minor and Ciriaco were non-tendered yesterday, with the remainder of their arb-eligible players being tendered contracts.
YESTERDAY, 8:25pm: David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that while Minor is likely to be non-tendered, GM John Coppolella said at 9:20pm ET that a final decision has not yet been reached.
8:19pm: The Braves will non-tender left-hander Mike Minor and infielder Pedro Ciriaco, reports MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. Minor’s status has been in limbo as reported setbacks in the southpaw’s recovery from shoulder surgery have left his recovery timeline uncertain, making his expected $5.6MM salary something of a risk for Atlanta.
Minor has battled through a pair of lost seasons, missing the entire 2015 campaign and also battling through injuries in 2014 en route to a 4.77 ERA in 145 1/3 innings. However, when healthy, the former No. 7 overall draft pick had proved himself capable big league starter, working to a combined 3.72 ERA (3.76 FIP) in a span of 466 2/3 innings from 2011-13.
Minor isn’t a power arm, sitting at an average of about 90.5 mph even when healthy, but he’s still averaged just under eight strikeouts per nine innings when healthy while displaying above-average control. The type of contract he signs — and the date on which he signs it — will be determined in large part by when he’s able to again take the mound and pitch in competitive games.
Having spent the entire season on the Major League disabled list, Minor accrued a full year of service in 2015, leaving him with four years, 138 days of service time. As such, a team that elects to sign him will have control of him not only in 2016 but also in 2017, should it feel comfortable going through the arbitration process with him next winter.
I expect the braves to non tender minor. They may treat him like others in recent years and try to sign him to a short incentive laden deal below what he could have gotten in arbitration. I think the lowest they could have offered in arbitration is 75 or 80 percent of his last arbitration salary so letting him hit the market then trying to resign him in this way makes sense for them.
If Minor will not take 2 years and 6 million with incentives for innings then he should be non tendered. Good riddance. That would be 12 million for three years where he may not pitch at all. Talk about selfish! Minor leaving may be just the needed catalyst. Minor tear in the shoulder labrum is nothing. He should have been pitching all along. He doesn’t want to try. Say goodbye to it all Mike.
Wow. What a bizarre rant. Why would he take 3 million a year from Atlanta when he’s guaranteed almost 5 million from them if tendered a contract?
Well, restructured contracts do happen. The Braves have a low payroll and Minor has done little to ensure faith lately.
Who has more upside medlin minor or beachy
Minor has a lot more upside if he can prove he’s healthy. After all he was the 7th overall pick in the 2009 draft.
While I do believe Minor can succeed if he gets healthy, Matt Hobgood was the 5th overall pick. Not exactly a good argument.
Yeah sure you never measure success on the order in the draft. Lots of top picks never reach their assumed potential. However I believe the question was about upside, and I would assume that a guy taken 7th overall in his draft year has more upside than a 10th rounder and an undrafted free agent, wouldn’t you agree?
He was picked 7th because of his proximity to the majors. He wasn’t a high upside arm.
I would want Medlen of the three. Probably has the worst stuff but has a serious pitcher’s mindset. Minor is a crafty lefty but I doubt he’ll ever be more than a passable #2 at best.
I still think Minor has some good years in him. Would love to see Baltimore give him a chance but with how they seem to take a flyer on players with injury reports, physicals, etc…..I would say picking him up in Oriole land would be a long shot.
This was expected. Minor showed some flashes of success in Atlanta but never really put it all together.
I don’t see the problem with taking a risk when the Braves have already called it quits on 2016, Minor, Griffin, Alvarez types should be on a non competitive team like the Braves. That money could have turned into prospects.
Theres only so many spots on a roster, you cant just fill the roster with a bunch of injured guys that arent going to be ready to play come April
35 year old Rich Hill just got 6 million dollars from Oakland of all places. I would put my money on Minor having more innings than Hill in 2016.
Rich Hill isnt coming off a major shoulder surgery where he suffered numerous setbacks…
I’ll take that bet…
Yeah, this would have made very little sense on the Braves part. He would have been making more than Teheran or Miller. I felt they should have done this last year to be honest. Never was a huge fan of MM. Good luck to him though
I think I minor will be signed by a rebuilding team like the Phillies or brewers, he’s got mlb experience , and plenty of upside if he can prove to be healthy
remember when Minor was supposed to be good? he is worth 900k at best. The Phillies could grab him up.