Alex Anthopoulos is an aggressive general manager for the Atlanta Braves. When the trade deadline arrives, or at any point in the off-season, “AA” will pull the trigger for some trades that could seem genius or head-scratching. Some of the “head-scratching” moves by Anthopoulos are now working out. Trading away fan favorites may be heartbreaking, but winning games is the biggest concern when working as the GM.
Braves 2021 Perfection:
To give context to the moves AA has made that have panned out, 2021 is the perfect look. The Braves were below .500 in a tight but weak NL East. Instead of selling, AA bought at the trade deadline. Joc Pederson was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Braves two weeks before the deadline. On deadline week, the Braves acquired names like Jorge Soler from the Kansas City Royals, Eddie Rosario from the Cleveland Guardians, and Adam Duvall from the Miami Marlins.
Questionable moves by AA had some fans and reporters puzzled. When the Braves acquired Jorge Soler, Soler’s splits were .192/.288/.370. Yet the move paid off.
Jorge Soler won World Series MVP with three home runs in the Fall Classic. Soler hit a solo homer to take the lead in Game Four of the World Series. In Game Six, he hit a towering three-run bomb to bolster the Braves to the title.
Joc Pederson was huge in the NLDS vs. the Brewers, with a pinch-hit three-run blast in Game Three. In Game Two of the NLCS, Pederson hit a two-run home run off Max Scherzer to tie the game.
Eddie Rosario was the NLCS hero and MVP in Atlanta’s 4-2 series win. In those six games, Eddie slashed 560/.607/1.040 (14-for-25) with three home runs, nine RBI, and six runs scored.
Adam Duvall also helped the Braves in the World Series with two home runs and a grand slam in Game Five.
Alex Anthopoulos turned these small deals into game-changers. Although only Eddie Rosario is the only player left on the Braves, the impact of these trades made the Braves World Series Champions.
Why are these moves relevant to the 2023 season? Alex Anthopoulos is an aggressive GM who makes moves that, on the surface, seem sketchy but have panned out. The Talent ID from AA is immaculate.
Braves 2023 Off-Season, a vital one:
The Atlanta Braves, coming off an impressive regular season of 101 wins, went into the NLDS hoping to go back-to-back. Disappointingly, division rivals Philidelphia Phillies knocked Atlanta out in the NLDS, 3–1. Alex Anthopoulos had decisions to make in the off-season, but the Braves’ off-season was quiet compared to their division counterparts. The Mets went all out with signings such as Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, and David Robertson. Also, the Mets extended big names such as Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Diaz. The Phillies went out and got Trea Turner for a huge deal. The race to catch the Braves was on.
The Braves responded, not like the other teams. They let Swanson walk to the Cubs and did not replace him. They traded away William Contreras, who was an all-star DH in 2022. Kenley Jansen left. The Braves lost some key players.
What did the Braves do to replace Swanson? Well, nothing. They kept Orlando Arcia instead of going for another star.
The Braves traded Contreras to the Milwaukee Brewers in a three-team trade that sent Sean Murphy to the Braves.
Alex Anthopoulos works magic again:
How have these off-season acquisitions worked out for the Braves? To say well would maybe be an understatement.
Keeping Orlando Arcia:
Orlando Arcia was the backup shortstop behind Dansby Swanson in 2022. Dansby had a career year and was an All-Star for the first time. His average rose to .277, the highest for his career (min. 150 plate appearances). In the 2022 season, Orlando Arcia’s splits were .244/.316/.416. He was being challenged by Vaughn Grissom this season and was on the possibility of being moved or being benched for the young prospect.
However, AA kept his faith in Arcia, which has paid off tremendously. Arcia leads the NL in All-Star voting this year with 406,509 votes, with good reason. The splits have improved as well. Arcia bats .327/.386/.464, all massive improvements from 2022. When it comes to his comparison to Dansby Swanson, it may be surprising. The numbers aren’t close when using wRC+, the most comprehensive stat for offensive production. Arcia is sixth in the majors is 133 wRC+, while Dansby is 14th with a 109 wRC+. Defensively, Dansby is better than Arcia by a good shot. Dansby ranks first, while Arcia ranks 15th, according to Fan Graphs.
Trading for Sean Murphy:
Sean Murphy’s acquisition was costly for the Braves, losing DH William Contreras. Sean Murphy ranked third in WAR in 2022, yet he has never made an All-Star appearance in the majors. Enter the 2023 season. Murphy is ranked first in WAR and the best defensive catcher in all of baseball. Advanced statistics rank Murphy in the 88th percentile in framing and 94th in pop time. Murphy also ranks third in catcher framing runs. Defensively, Murphy has made the Braves impressive behind home plate.
In the batter’s box, Murphy makes a case for one of the best in baseball as a catcher. Murphy is third in batting average and first in slugging compared to catchers (min. 100 plate appearances) while making a great case as a batter compared to any position in the big leagues. Murphy’s advanced statistics look straight out of an MLB The Show character. Against all batters, Murphy is in the 88th percentile for average exit velocity, 98th in xwOBA, 92nd in xBA, 96th in xSLG, and 95th in Barrel %. Giving Murphy the fastball is the worst thing a pitcher can do. In 2o23, Murphy is hitting .396 against the fastball, with a .771 SLG with half of his home runs this season on the fastball.
The Wrap-up:
Murphy leads the NL in catcher voting and is on track to becoming a first-time All-Star. The 28-year-old catcher has impressed this season offensively and defensively. Orlando Arcia has the same story on his path to his first All-Star appearance. The 28-year-old also shows his offensive value, having many multi-hit games in his 48 games so far. Alex Anthopoulos struck gold again this season and is proving his nose for talent again. Can it translate for the rest of the season and, more importantly, into the postseason?
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Atlanta Braves
