John Hart named President of Baseball Operations for Atlanta Braves

UPDATE #2: The Atlanta Braves have formally announced that John Hart will assume the title of President of Baseball Operations, and he has agree to a three-year contract that runs through the 2017 season. 

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UPDATE: Ken Rosenthal has added more context to the proceedings, referencing a likelihood that the Atlanta Braves will still hire a general manager (see below).

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It appears that the Atlanta Braves may have a new president of baseball operations, as John Hart will assume that position according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

Little more than a week ago, word spread that Hart actually declined the Braves overtures to become Atlanta’s general manager, but with Rosenthal going the other way and the team remaining mute on the subject publicly, the script appears to have flipped. Many fans and pundits have publicly backed assistant GM John Coppolella for the position, but with the “prime” external candidate in Kansas City Royals GM Dayton Moore seemingly unavailable (editor’s note: thank goodness!), John Hart would be the logical “veteran” choice if the Braves were dead set against hiring the up and coming Coppolella as the lone figure, and this official title for Hart would seemingly leave open the possibility of Coppolella assuming the role of general manager in some sort of collaboration effort.

It is crucial to note that the Atlanta Braves have not formally announced this move at this point, but with smoke, there is usually fire. Personally, I would love to see the franchise move in a new direction with regard to a more forward-thinking individual at the head of the line, but with some of the scouting moves signaling a return to the “old guard”, the Atlanta Braves could be simply trying to recreate the model that brought a decade and a half worth of big-time success.

John Hart looks like the man in charge, and we will have to await any additional reshuffling with regard to a GM hire.