The Braves' payroll currently sits around $26M less than their NL East rival Phillies
The Braves' $114M Opening Day payroll is their "lowest in three years" and falls "well short of meeting expectations raised by Braves executives' statements in recent years that spending on players would rise consistently after the move to SunTrust Park," according to Tim Tucker of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. The payroll is also below that of the NL East rival Nationals ($162M), Mets ($158M) and Phillies ($140M). Braves owner Liberty Media continues to state the team "has money available to spend on players, although they won't disclose how much" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 3/28). In Atlanta, Michael Cunningham wrote under the header, "Free-Spending Phillies Show Braves What They Are Up Against." The Phillies beat the Braves 10-4 in Thursday's season opener, and if the Braves continue to "flounder in Philly it will increase the grumbling among customers already irritated by the team pocketing profits from their taxpayer-subsidized stadium" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 3/29).
GIVE ME LIBERTY? Baseball HOFer Tom Glavine said owning a part of an MLB franchise is something he would "really want to do" in the future and, he "would love for it to be" with the Braves, for whom he played 17 seasons. THE ATHLETIC's Jeff Schultz noted there is "no indication right now" that Liberty Media is "putting the team, stadium and surrounding development on the market any time soon." However, there is going to be an "economic leveling off process at some point." Glavine was part of a group that "bid to purchase" the Marlins in '17 before the team was sold to Derek Jeter's group for $1.2B. Glavine would have had a "minority share (single digits, percentage-wise), and his stake in a future purchase bid would be about the same" (THEATHLETIC.com, 3/26).
