Outfielder Ender Inciarte has avoided salary arbitration with the Atlanta Braves, agreeing to a $30,525,000, five-year contract through the 2021 season, the team announced Friday.

Mallex Smith is currently playing in Puerto Rico after missing the season half of the 2016 season with a fractured thumb.

With Matt Kemp, Ender Inciarte and Nick Markakis set to start for the Atlanta Braves, Smith could either serve as a backup at the major league level or an everyday player for Triple-A Gwinnett.

"[Smith] is a talented player, but he still needs more development," John Hart said. "At the same point, Mallex is interesting because he can do a lot of things for you. He can [play] all three outfield positions and he can run. But the question we are asking ourselves is, 'Are we doing him a disservice and ultimately ourselves a disservice by making him a role or bench player?'"

The Atlanta Braves are very impressed with Dansby Swanson's on-field talent and off-field intangibles.

"I don't think you can put any playables or comparisons on him, I just know we're better with him, and the whole is greater than the parts. This is a special guy that makes people around him better," John Coppolella said.

The Chicago White Sox reportedly wanted Swanson as part of a deal for Chris Sale, but the Braves refused to part with the former first overall pick.

Bud Selig spent 22 years as the commissioner of baseball. John Schuerholz built World Series champions in Atlanta and Kansas City. Sunday night, they were elected together to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The St. Louis Cardinals have traded Jaime Garcia to the Atlanta Braves for three prospects.

The Cardinals received infielder Luke Dykstra and pitchers John Gant and Chris Ellis.

St. Louis picked up Garcia's $12 million option last month to use him as a trade chip.