After a slow start to the offseason, the Braves made a huge move on Saturday afternoon, agreeing to send OF Matt Kemp to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for 1B Adrian Gonzalez, IF Charlie Culberson, RHP Brandon McCarthy, and LHP Scott Kazmir.
From the Atlanta perspective, at first glance this trade looks like an overreaction to the impending financial burden of having Kemp around thru 2019, much like the overreaction that brought him to Atlanta in the first place. However, with the knowledge that Gonzalez, McCarthy, and Kazmir are all entering the final season of their large contracts, this move paints a clear picture of how the Braves intend to operate this offseason and next.