Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: The Plan and a Crazy Teaser

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May 17, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Atlanta Braves interim manager Brain Snitker (43) hits baseballs during infield practice before playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Now hear this: The Braves’ plan has not failed

MARK BRADLEY / AJC.COM from May 21

Here’s how to fail Logic 101 — by making the following fallacious argument:

More from Tomahawk Take

The Braves are having a terrible season; ergo, the Braves’ rebuild is doomed.

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The conclusion, however, is akin to saying, “I’m having a bad day, so every day for the rest of my life will just as bad.” Times change. Not all days are dark. Not all seasons are hellish. What we’re seeing isn’t necessarily what we will see.

This wretched season will have little bearing on 2017 and beyond. If they’re smart, bad teams can get better. (Recent examples: Cubs, Mets, Astros.) Just because John Coppolella and John Hart fired Fredi Gonzalez doesn’t make them dunces or ogres. Did a manager whose teams had gone 106-168 since July 5, 2014 — that dates to the reign of Frank Wren — deserve tenure?

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What the Two Johns envision is a bountiful farm system that will feature not just one wave of talent but — to use Coppolella’s description — “wave after wave.” What they want is a big-league club without a slew of crippling contracts. If the aim was to field a championship team in 2015 and/or 2016, they’ve whiffed. It wasn’t, and they haven’t.

In 20 months, Coppolella and Hart have taken a minor-league chain that ranked among the sport’s bottom five and rendered it No. 1 — and surely not just for this year. They hold the third overall pick in the June draft, and it has long been whispered that the Braves are poised to make hay when the international signing window opens July 2.

They turned free-agents-to-be Jason Heyward and Justin Upton into a half-dozen useful players, one of whom (Shelby Miller) was offloaded for three more. They shed the contract of Melvin Upton Jr., which still seems a miracle. They bought the teenage pitcher Touki Toussaint from Arizona by assuming Bronson Arroyo’s contract, which they dumped on the Dodgers.

They agreed to pay Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher $14 million in 2016 because the Indians took on the $6.9 million owed Chris Johnson this season and — this is important — the $9 million for 2017. (Why is that important? Because the Braves, being pragmatic, feel they’ll need that $9 million next season.) Know how many Braves, not counting those who haven’t hit arbitration, are under contract for 2017? Five.

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Next: My reaction to this is on the next page

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