Just a few days after eating $10 million remaining on Nick Swisher’s contract by releasing the veteran, the Atlanta Braves are going to find themselves on the hook for another $9 million after designating fellow veteran Michael Bourn for assignment on Saturday.
Braves select the contracts of OF Drew Stubbs & RHP Alexi Ogando. Michael Bourn & Emilio Bonifacio have been designated for assignment.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 2, 2016
Bourn, 33, posted an absurdly low .221 batting average and .303 on-base percentage for Atlanta last season.
Acquired from the Cleveland Indians in a mid-season trade, the outfielder is set to earn $14 million this upcoming season with the Indians being on the hook for $5 million of that cash.
This means that Atlanta has taken a $19 million hit by sending two of its highest-paid players packing.
While a team can technically pick Bourn up off waivers, that seems highly unlikely given his high price tag in 2016. In the end, Atlanta will be forced to release the outfielder like they did with Swisher earlier in the week.
This is just the latest example of the Braves’ front office going to extraordinary financial lengths during what has been a rather interesting rebuild project.
Not too often do you see a team eat the type of cash the Braves have without receiving anything of substance in return. It’s now all about giving the young players an opportunity to prove themselves on the field.
That will start this upcoming week as the regular season gets going around the baseball world.