Braves pick up option on Flowers, decline Dickey, Krol becomes free agent

With Kurt Suzuki already under contract the Braves have ensured that their catching situation will remain the same in 2018 after picking up the $4 million option of Tyler Flowers. A former top prospect of the team who spent several years with the White Sox, Flowers returned to the Braves in 2017 to have the best year of his career hitting .281/.378/.445 with 12 homers and 49 RBI over 99 games.

R.A. Dickey’s option for 2018 was not picked up. The former NL Cy Young Award winner could have received $8 million had he returned to the Braves. Instead he will receive $500,000. The Braves had to make a decision on Dickey a week after the World Series. The belief had been that if Dickey wanted to return the Braves would exercise his option. His last start came against one of his former teams in the Mets and he later declined to pitch an additional game at the end of the season. The 43-year-old knuckleballer had planned to talk to his family before making a decision on 2018.

Another player who will not return to the Braves for 2018 is Ian Krol. After a mildly successful 2016 season, Krol struggled in 2017 posting a 5.33 ERA in 51 games while being relegated to middle relief. He is now free to test the free agent market after declining an option to Triple-A.

John Boarman
John Boarmanhttp://www.tireball.com
Founder and Owner of Tireball Sports.

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