Atlanta Braves: Ranking John Hart’s Trades in 2015

Oct 4, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher

(37) throws a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the third inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

6. April 05, 2015 – Craig Kimbrel, Melvin Upton Jr. (Braves) for Matt Wisler, Cameron Maybin, Carlos Quentin and Jordan Paroubeck (Padres)

Perhaps the most polarizing of all of John Hart’s trades, the Atlanta Braves President of Baseball Operations traded the most prized and beloved of the club’s assets, Craig Kimbrel, in order to rid the Braves of Melvin Upton Jr.’s albatross contract, mediocre performance, and to acquire even more young pitching talent.

One of the game’s premier closers, Craig Kimbrel was traded the day before the start of the season. This trade contradicted the Atlanta Braves front-office’s assertion that the team would remain competitive this season. This trade shocked the city of Atlanta, but in the long run will benefit the Atlanta Braves with the the financial flexibility and the talent afforded as a result.

Without Melvin Upton’s contract looming over the Atlanta Braves, they now have much more financial flexibility going into the offseason. The same goes for eliminating Craig Kimbrel’s financial obligations.

The icing on the cake in regard to this trade was the acquisition of top prospect Matt Wisler. Wisler struggled this year, but projects to be a mainstay in the Atlanta Braves’ starting rotation for years to come. Cameron Maybin, thought to be a throw-in in this trade, had the best season of his career for the Atlanta Braves, finally realizing his potential in 2015.

Aug 8, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher

(48) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the fifth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

7. January 14, 2015 – Evan Gattis and James Hoyt (Braves) for Mike Foltynewicz, Andrew Thurman and Rio Ruiz (Astros)

The trade that sent Evan Gattis to the Houston Astros was the first transaction where fans realized that John Hart’s vision to acquire young prospects became a borderline obsesssion. Gattis, under contract for the next few years, was sent to Houston in a trade centered around former number 1 pick Mike Foltynewicz.

Foltynewicz, drafted in 2010, was close to major league ready this offseason, and eventually became a significant part of the Atlanta Braves starting rotation in 2015. Though he struggled for most of the season, owning a 4-6 record and 5.17 ERA, Folty turned the corner before succumbing to season ending injuries. He possesses an electric fastball, but struggled with his confidence and command throughout the season. The jury is still out on whether he will remain a starter or will head to the bullpen.

The Atlanta Braves traded away the bat and years of control of slugger Evan Gattis. There were concerns in regard to the health of Gattis, whose defense behind the plate was suspect and was a below average outfield. But his bat was missed this season, as Gattis finished the regular season with 27 homers and 88 RBI’s for the upstart Astros. The Atlanta Braves will attempt to acquire a bat this offseason, but they had one with Gattis. He fit the vision for the club, despite his suspect defense.

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