Interesting MLBtraderumors article on Braves

[bravesfanforlife88]

This is “a critical year” for the Braves, in part because it will help them decide how aggressively to seek upgrades via the free agent and trade markets next winter, general manager Alex Anthopoulos told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. “The ideal scenario is that these guys emerge, they all take these jobs, run with them and become a part of our core,” Anthopoulos said of the Braves’ young talent, and he mentioned shortstop Dansby Swanson, third basemen Johan Camargo and Austin Riley, and catcher Alex Jackson as players who are capable of etching themselves into the team’s long-term plans this season. The most notable member of that group is Swanson, whom Arizona chose No. 1 in the 2015 draft and then traded to Atlanta in the well-known Shelby Miller deal later that year. Swanson’s now coming off his first full major league season, in which he struggled to a .232/.312/.324 batting line in 551 plate appearances. “Dansby Swanson at shortstop; everyone knows about Draft status and talent and all of that, but he didn’t have the year he’s capable of last year,” Anthopoulos said. “He’d be the first one to tell you that. Does he take that step and emerge as our shortstop?”

At 34 and in the last year of his contract, outfielder Nick Markakis probably isn’t in the Braves’ long-term plans. But he’s still a Brave for now, and his coaches and teammates are glad, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explains. Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer told O’Brien that Markakis is the “ultimate professional” and compared him to Royals luminaries George Brett and Alex Gordon, two people Seitzer’s familiar with from his days in Kansas City. Meanwhile, Swanson is “super thankful” Markakis is still in the fold. The same could hold true for manager Brian Snitker, whom Markakis raved about to O’Brien. According to O’Brien, now-former Braves president John Hart berated Snitker in the manager’s office after a loss last August. Markakis caught wind of it and “made it known, had the message sent up the chain, that if Hart ever treated the manager that way again that Markakis would, in so many words, kick his ass,” O’Brien writes.

[msstate7]

I would pay to see Markakis kick hart’s butt haha

[bravesfanforlife88]

I would pay to see Markakis kick hart’s butt haha

Would have been one of the more interesting parts to the season last year.....to be honest I was happy when Hart signed on with the Braves a few years back...but after the corruption and seeing the way he treated the players/coaches, could not be happier his ass is gone

[Tapate50]

Hart had\has a pretty over rated reputation imo. I never saw the draw for him other than a JS golf buddy or yes man.

[striker42]

I have a new respect for Markakis. That's awesome.

[JxnMissFan]

Would have been one of the more interesting parts to the season last year.....to be honest I was happy when Hart signed on with the Braves a few years back...but after the corruption and seeing the way he treated the players/coaches, could not be happier his ass is gone

The more behind the scenes information we get about the past 3 years it’s more apparent the Braves were the biggest dumpster fire in the league.

There is a lot said here about lower payroll but frankly it’s a waste to throw money into the team until you fix these off field problems

[nsacpi]

The more behind the scenes information we get about the past 3 years it’s more apparent the Braves were the biggest dumpster fire in the league.

There is a lot said here about lower payroll but frankly it’s a waste to throw money into the team until you fix these off field problems

It is also clear that we had fallen way behind the other teams on the analytics side. Surely, it would have been a useful expenditure to beef up our analytics team. But Hart et al seem to have been smug in the belief that the Braves were a gold standard franchise. It is this failure to recognize how antiquated the front office had become that is really the biggest sin of the Hartcoppy regime. Well maybe second biggest after the signing scandals.

Think about this: Hart was berating Snitker at a time when he had provided Snitker with neither the players nor the analysis and information need to be competitive.

[Julio3000]

Yeah, I don't think much of Snitker's prowess between the lines, but I think the players' reactions to his attempted scapegoating by a dysfunctional FO is pretty much spot on.

[Southcack77]

It is also clear that we had fallen way behind the other teams on the analytics side. Surely, it would have been a useful expenditure to beef up our analytics team. But Hart et al seem to have been smug in the belief that the Braves were a gold standard franchise. It is this failure to recognize how antiquated the front office had become that is really the biggest sin of the Hartcoppy regime. Well maybe second biggest after the signing scandals.

Think about this: Hart was berating Snitker at a time when he had provided Snitker with neither the players nor the analysis and information need to be competitive.

Why was he berating him? Has that ever been established?

[nsacpi]

Why was he berating him? Has that ever been established?

my recollection it had to do with using Jim Johnson in a high leverage situation

[Horsehide Harry]

my recollection it had to do with using Jim Johnson in a high leverage situation

I guess that was worth wasting $44M during rebuilding years...

[Enscheff]

I was told on countless occasions by folks on this very board that the Hart/Coppy FO was brilliant, and there was no in-fighting within the Braves organization.

[nsacpi]

Hartcoppy were a really special combination of arrogance and incompetence.

It is worth repeating my favorite question: where would this rebuild be without Albies and Acuna?

[Oklahomabrave]

Hartcoppy were a really special combination of arrogance and incompetence.

It is worth repeating my favorite question: where would this rebuild be without Albies and Acuna?
I guess we’d be the reds?

[nsacpi]

I guess we’d be the reds?

worse