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Atlanta Braves: John Coppolella’s Rebuild

By Kit Anderson

Mar 15, 2015; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; The Atlanta Braves logo painted on the field during a spring training baseball game at Champion Stadium. The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves 10-5. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 15, 2015; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; The Atlanta Braves logo painted on the field during a spring training baseball game at Champion Stadium. The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves 10-5. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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While team president John Hart has been the face of the Atlanta Braves’ rebuild, GM John Coppolella has no doubt had just as much say in deals and moves made. Oftentimes Hart has flat out said that it was Coppolella putting a deal together more so than Hart himself.

John Coppolella is the ultimate exec success story. Starting out with the Yankees as an intern and working himself up to a general manager position as quickly as he has is not often done. Coppolella has proven how much of a work ethic he has and how much he loves the game of baseball. Not only through his success in working his way up the ladder, but by the success he has attained in whatever position he holds at the time.

There is no question that with Hart’s guidance John Coppolella is now fully in control of the Atlanta Braves‘ rebuild as he looks to finish what he and Hart have started.  They have taken a team with one of the worst farm systems in all of MLB and in two shorts seasons have stockpiled enough young talent to now be considered one of the best.

Besides the forgettable Hector Olivera trade (which has been recently fixed with the acquisition of Matt Kemp), Coppolella has pulled off what look to be some very one-sided deals in the Braves’ favor. While Coppolella’s and Hart’s trade history with the Braves is much too extensive to cover fully, here are the highlights:

— Braves trade Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden to the St. Louis Cardinals for Tyrell Jenkins and Shelby Miller

— Braves trade Justin Upton and Aaron Northcraft to the San Diego Padres for Max Fried, Dustin Peterson, Mallex Smith and Jace Peterson

— Braves trade Evan Gattis and James Hoyt to the Houston Astros for Rio Ruiz, Andrew Thurman and Mike Foltynewicz

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— Braves trade Craig Kimbrel and Melvin Upton to the San Diego Padres for Jordan Paroubeck, Cameron Maybin, Carlos Quentin and Matt Wisler

— Braves trade Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson to the New York Mets for John Gant and Robert Whalen

— Braves trade Andrelton Simmons and Jose Brinceno to the Angels for Chris Ellis, Sean Newcomb and Erick Aybar

— Braves trade Shelby Miller and Gabe Speier to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Dansby Swanson, Aaron Blair and Ender Inciarte

These are just the highlights of the Braves front office over the past two offseasons. This does not include the savvy deals that Coppolella has put together by picking up players for almost nothing and turning them into legitimate prospects. The fact that he continues to do that this season, along with him continuing to get other general managers to pay up, shows just how good of a general manager John Coppolella is.

Next: Kemp to the Braves Makes Sense

While the rebuild may not be fun right now for the last-place Braves, they are focused on building a future. One that is going to be long-lasting and not short-lived success. John Coppolella has been a big part of it thus far and appears to have put the Braves in a position to have that long-lasting success that the front office has been promising. With the trade deadline at 4:00 PM today, keep an eye on the Braves as John Coppolella is not done making moves just yet.

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