Talking Chop Podcast Episode 196: Hello, Will Smith

The Atlanta Braves made a surprising move on Thursday afternoon, announcing the signing of veteran reliever Will Smith before even the first hint of reporting on negotiations. In response, the Talking Chop Podcast springs into action and, in a rare occurrence, it is a Brad-free audio space.

TC’s Eric Cole and Scott Coleman host Episode 196 and topics include the following:

• Will Smith is good at baseball and he’ll be earning at least $39 million over the next three seasons, with the chance to cross the $50 million threshold over four years
• Mark Melancon is under contract and the Braves have Shane Greene under team control for 2020... Who’s the closer? Does this even matter?
• What does this move mean for the rest of Atlanta’s off-season? Does it affect the pursuit of Josh Donaldson (who declined his qualifying offer on Thursday) or other top-tier free agents?
• Could.... could the Braves actually raise payroll?
• Much, much more

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