REPORTS: Kyle Wright claims that the Braves have been “given a number” for payroll.
Kyle Wright discussed the trade to Kansas City and the information he received regarding the team’s salary.
In a recent interview, former Atlanta Braves pitcher Kyle Wright—who was traded to the Kansas City Royals last Friday—discussed what he was informed about Atlanta’s payroll and their plans for the 2024 offseason.
Wright discussed his feelings about the unexpected trade away from his home team in an interview with Justin Toscano of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution ($). Wright was drafted #5 overall in the 2017 MLB Draft after attending Vanderbilt University and growing up in Alabama. Wright also discussed what president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos told him when he learned of the trade to Kansas City last week.
Toscano questioned him about the trade’s justification, which Anthopoulos had disclosed, and Wright replied that he had been informed it had to do with money:
Essentially, all he had to work with was the number that he was given from above. There were others besides me, for sure. Many of the guys had been moved on from. According to what he told me, the primary goal was to obtain that number by releasing as much cap space as possible.
Atlanta’s projected 2024 payroll for 40 employees is currently estimated by Spotrac at $206 million; however, competitive balance tax calculations place the payroll higher at $239 million. (CBT payroll accounts for other non-salary expenses like benefits, minor league salaries, etc.) It also compares the average annual value figures for each contract to the actual cash expenditures.
Atlanta’s payroll exceeds the $237 million first luxury tax threshold, according to CBT payroll calculations. Atlanta’s overage taxation rate increases to 30% as a second-time payer of the competitive balance tax, from 20% for first-time offenders. Any pending free agent signings could result in an increase in the tax rate; if payroll exceeds the $237 million initial cap by $20 to $40 million, an extra 12 percent surcharge will be applied. It increases to 42.5% if a team exceeds the cap by $40 million.
Wright acknowledged that he wasn’t sure if the Braves were attempting to find as many salary dollars for a big splash in free agency or if they were simply trying to stay under a specific payroll cap, but he did have a preference:
Wright said to Toscano, “I hope (it’s) the second.” “I believe that the Braves ought to be attempting to bring in some significant additions. I really hope the latter. (But) I’m not positive which one it is. That’s only known by Alex.”
Wright continued by talking about his thoughts on the trade, the organization, his plans for Kansas City, and other topics. Subscribers to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution can access the entire article on their website.
