Braves introduce Alex Anthopoulos as GM
The Atlanta Braves introduced Alex Anthopoulos as executive vice president and general manager at a press conference Monday.
"The talent level and the work that's been done here is tremendous and that's certainly a credit to all the administrations that have been here before over the years," Anthopoulos said, per FOX Sports.
The 40-year-old signed a four-year contract that runs through 2021. He will have complete control of baseball operations, and report directly to Braves chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk. In addition, the Braves announced that president of baseball operations John Hart - who had been serving as interim GM - will move into a new job as senior advisor "effective immediately," and will have no "active involvement in baseball operations."
Anthopoulos inherits a Braves team with an elite group of prospects highlighted by outfielder Ronald Acuna and pitchers Kolby Allard and Kyle Wright, though the Braves are expected to be hit with punishments from Major League Baseball over a scandal that forced his predecessor, John Coppolella, to resign in October.
During his six-year tenure (2009-2015) as Toronto Blue Jays' GM, Anthopoulos was credited with drafting and developing several key players, including starters Aaron Sanchez, Noah Syndergaard, and Marcus Stroman, and signing international players such as Roberto Osuna and current Blue Jays top prospect, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Anthopoulos is also known for his bold trades that saw the Blue Jays acquire Josh Donaldson ahead of the 2015 season, while trading for Troy Tulowitzki and David Price, among others, around the 2015 trade deadline, leading to the organization's first postseason berth since 1993.
"In terms of similarities to Toronto, at the time that I started there, we were going to do some work at the minor-league level, and the minor leagues right now (in Atlanta) is as good as you're going to find anywhere in baseball, and to have a head start like that is outstanding," Anthopoulos added.
After rejecting a five-year extension to remain with the Blue Jays at the end of the 2015 season, Anthopoulos joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as VP of player development - a position he held until joining the Braves.