Organizational report: Braves set sights on 2017, new stadium

Sports Weekly takes an in-depth look at each major league organization during the offseason, from the major leagues to the farm system. We start with teams with the worst records and move up.

***

John Coppolella is a realist but not a quitter. He wants to make that clear.

The Braves general manager knows his team went 67-95 last season, its worst finish since 1990. The record is not a likely jumping-off point to reaching the postseason, even though Atlanta began a streak of 14 consecutive division titles in 1991.

“We’re not going from (67) wins to 105 wins in one year,” said Coppolella, who was promoted from assistant GM on Oct. 1 and given a four-year contract by president of baseball operations John Hart. “We’re building something, and it’s not going to happen overnight. I do know we’re going to be better next year than we were this year.”

The Braves fan base might not be quite so confident after Coppolella’s offseason trade to ship Andrelton Simmons, a 26-year-old shortstop with two Gold Gloves, to the Los Angeles Angels, center fielder Cameron Maybin, 28, to the Detroit Tigers and right-handed starter Shelby Miller to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Simmons was dealt in mid-November for veteran shortstop Erick Aybar and pitching prospects Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis. Newcomb, a left-hander, could eventually become a top-of-the-rotation starter, but many eyebrows were raised by getting rid of Simmons, who has five years and $53 million remaining on his contract.

Simmons was seemingly a player to build around, and dealing him has sparked speculation that the Braves are going to tank the 2016 season in an effort to get another high draft pick — they will choose third overall in next year’s amateur draft — and wait until 2017 and a move into suburban SunTrust Park before trying to become competitive.

Maybin, who was owed $9 million and can become a free agent next offseason, was dealt last weekend for left-handed relievers Ian Krol and Gabe Speier (a prospect). The center fielder and North Carolina native was rejuvenated by the return to his Southern roots. Despite a late-season dip caused in part by eye problems, he was an upgrade from Melvin Upton Jr., with 18 doubles, 10 homers and 23 steals.

Miller, who went 6-17 last season despite posting a career-best 3.02 ERA, was dealt at the Winter Meetings in Nashville. In return, the Braves received shortstop prospect Dansby Swanson, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, outfielder Ender Inciarte and pitching prospect Aaron Blair.

News media reports following the Simmons trade suggested the Braves would try to deal star first baseman Freddie Freeman, another 26-year-old who has six years and $116.5 million remaining on his deal.

Though the reports seemingly had a certain degree of merit after the Braves’ moves this offseason, Coppolella has said they are keeping Freeman.

And Coppolella, who joined the Braves in 2007 as director of baseball operations, resents the tanking notion.

“I’m really tired of it,” Coppolella said. “We need players. We can’t keep the same roster that we had and expect to improve. We need to get better, and I feel we are better than before we made the trade with the Angels.”

Coppolella is trying to get the organization back on track and has two veteran mentors to lean on: Hart and Braves President John Schuerholz, who was the GM throughout the run of division crowns.

“We have done dramatic, dynamic and outside-of-the-box thinking to try to shorten this downturn that we are experiencing right now,” Schuerholz says.“

***

Where the Braves stand at each position (*prospect):

Catcher: A.J. Pierzynski joined the Braves before last season as a free agent, and the veteran enjoyed mentoring the young pitchers so much that he decided to return for 2016 on a one-year, $3 million contract. The 38-year-old balances a tough-love approach with a fair amount of nurturing. Pierzynski also remains a threat with the bat. Christian Bethancourt continues to be the catcher of the future in an organization lacking in prospects at the position but has yet to show he can hit enough to be a regular.

Depth chart: Pierzynski, Betancourt, *Chris O’Dowd, *Joseph Odom.

First base: It is easy to understand why many teams want to trade for Freeman and also why the Braves want to keep him. He is a cornerstone-type player, one of the few legitimate power threats in the lineup and a strong defender. Despite Coppolella’s strong protestations, it is reasonable to think a team could overwhelm the Braves with an offer for him. Freeman was hampered by side and wrist injuries last season. Nick Swisher is on hand to back him up, though the Braves would love to unload the fading veteran and at least part of the $10 million they are required to pay him in 2016.

Depth chart: Freeman, Swisher, Joey Terdoslavich, *Jacob Schrader.

Second base: While pitching prospect Max Fried was the prize of the four-player package the Braves received from the San Diego Padres in the Justin Upton trade, Jace Peterson played well enough in spring training to win the starting job. Peterson proved durable by playing in 152games in his first full major league season, but his offense and defense were below average. He will get a chance to again prove himself next season, though he could be pushed by Daniel Castro.

Depth chart: Peterson, Beckham, Castro, Pedro Ciriaco, *Levi Hyams.

Third base: Stocky right-handed hitter Adonis Garcia showed pop last season as a rookie outfielder after being called up from Class AAA Gwinnett (Lawrenceville, Ga.) in late July. The New York Yankees released Garcia at the end of spring training, and the Braves signed him as a free agent. Despite his limited professional experience, which has been mostly in the outfield, Garcia is already 30 as he signed with the Yankees in 2012 after defecting from Cuba. For insurance, the Braves signed Gordon Beckham as a free agent as a backup. Rio Ruiz, one of three prospects acquired from the Houston Astros in the trade for Evan Gattis, will begin next season at Gwinnett as a 21-year-old and could be a factor in 2017.

Depth chart: Garcia, Beckham, Ciriaco, Castro, *Ruiz.

Shortstop: It is hard to imagine Aybar being more than a placeholder as the 31-year-old can become a free agent at the end of next season. If Aybar isn’t traded again this offseason, the Braves likely will flip him at the July 31 non-waiver deadline and turn the job over to Castro. But waiting in the wings could be Swanson, who may move through the system rather fast.

Depth chart: Aybar, Castro, Ciriaco, *Swanson, *Johan Camargo, *Ozhaino Albies.

Left field: The Braves unsuccessfully tried to sign Hector Olivera last winter after his defection from Cuba, then acquired him from the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 30 in a three-team, 13-player trade that included the Miami Marlins. The Dodgers signed Olivera to a six-year, $62 million contract with the idea that he would be their third baseman, but the Braves like him better as an outfielder and will pay him about $32 million over the next five seasons. The Braves are confident he will hit with enough power to be a regular in left field and combine with Garcia to provide protection for Freeman in the middle of the batting order.

Depth chart: Olivera, Swisher, Eury Perez, *Dian Toscano, Terdoslavich.

Center field: Maybin was traded because he has more value than veteran Michael Bourn, who was acquired from the Cleveland Indians in August along with Swisher for third baseman Chris Johnson in a trade of unwanted contracts. But it will be Inciarte who most likely will be the starter. Inciarte, 25, hit .303 with six home runs, 45 RBI, and 21 stolen bases in 132 games for the Diamondbacks in 2015.  Bourn, who will be 33 next season, is owed $9 million and has a $12 million option for 2017 that vests with 550 plate appearances. He batted .238 last season, the second-lowest mark of his 10-year career, with 17 steals in 24 attempts.

Depth chart: Inciarte, Bourn, Perez, *Toscano, *Smith, *Connor Lien.

Right field: Nick Markakis’ return to his hometown last season on a four-year, $44 million free agent contract was a mixed bag. Markakis hit for average and got on base but was limited to three home runs in 156 games. He could regain some of his pop after being further away from the neck surgery he had last December. At 32, Markakis doesn’t fit the youth movement, and perhaps the Baltimore Orioles, who had him for the first nine years of his career, will make a play to bring him back.

Depth chart: Markakis, Swisher, Perez, Terdoslavich, *Lien.

Starting pitchers: One of the few highlights of last season came in the final weekend when the Braves shut out the 100-win St. Louis Cardinals in each game of a three-game sweep with right-handers Miller, Julio Teheran and Matt Wisler as the starters. Even though the Cardinals had clinched the National League Central title and were resting their regulars, the duo of Teheran and Wilser figures to front the rotation in 2016. Teheran, 24, has won in double digits in each of his three full major league seasons, averaging more than 202 innings a year, and Wisler, 23, who was acquired from the Padres in the Craig Kimbrel deal, won the last three starts of his rookie season. Miller will see his salary jump in arbitration, which is why the Braves should be willing to listen to trade offers for him or Teheran (owed nearly $30 million over five seasons). Left-hander Mike Minor figures to gain a spot in the rotation if he is recovered from May shoulder surgery. Lefty Manny Banuelos and right-handers Williams Perez, Mike Foltynewicz, Daniel Winkler, Tyrell Jenkins and Ryan Weber also will get long looks in spring training.

Depth chart: Teheran, Wisler, Banuelos, Perez, Minor, *Jenkins, *Weber, *Ellis, *RHP John Gant, *RHP Brandon Barker, *Newcomb.

Bullpen: The relief pitching was horrendous in the latter part of last season after the trade of closer Jim Johnson to the Dodgers and the loss of Jason Grilli to a torn Achilles tendon. Grilli is 39 but has rebounded from serious injuries before and will be looked upon as a veteran stabilizer in a bullpen that Coppolella wants to upgrade. Right-hander Arodys Vizcaino, 25, had nine saves and a 1.60 ERA in 36 games last season, and the Braves think he has the stuff to become a top-flight closer. They also like the potential of lefties Krol, rookie Matt Marksberry and Paco Rodriguez, who was acquired from the Dodgers along with Olivera but is recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery. Krol, 24, has struck out 7.8 hitters per nine innings (over 88 inning) in the majors, despite a 4.91 ERA. Speier hasn’t pitched above low A but has 68 strikeouts in 77 minor league innings.

Depth chart: Vizcaino, Grilli, Foltynewicz, *Krol, RHP Chris Withrow, *Marksberry, *Winkler, Rodriguez.

***

Top five prospects

Excerpted from BaseballHQ.com’s 2016 Minor League Baseball Analyst.

1. Kolby Allard, RHP: Dubbed by some analysts as the best pitcher in the 2015 draft, the 6-1, 180-pound lefty fell to Atlanta because of a stress reaction in his back. He has been given clean bill of health. He features three potential above-average pitches: a 12-to-6 curveball with two-plane break; a fastball that plays faster than its radar gun velocity (92-94 mph); and a deceptive, sinking changeup. Allard, 18, is at least three years away.

2. Sean Newcomb, LHP: The 2014 first-round pick had a breakout season in 2015 (9-3, 2.38 ERA over three levels). His fastball command improved immensely, especially with late movement down in the zone, and his changeup remains his best secondary pitch. His 12-to-6 curveball has emerged against left-handers. Newcomb, 22, could see time in Atlanta next summer.

3. Ozhaino Albies, SS: The switch-hitter burst on to the prospect scene with a tremendous full-season debut. He makes solid contact, using a short stroke, quick hands, tremendous balance and exceptional hand-eye coordination. There’s not much power, but he has excellent speed and the potential to be a strong defender. He’ll be 19 and head to high Class A to start 2015.

4. Touki Toussaint, RHP: Toussaint, 19, was acquired by the Braves in a June deal with the Diamondbacks. A slight mechanical adjustment improved his fastball velocity and command, while the break and depth of his curveball are special. His slider needs work while his changeup has deception but lacks consistency. Toussaint is at least two years away from the majors.

5. Lucas Sims, RHP: Sims, 21, had a breakout 2015, making it to Class AA for the first time in career. His fastball sits in the low to mid-90s with good action, and he commands it in the strike zone. His best pitch is a 12-to-6 curveball. His changeup is behind the rest of his pitches but shows promise. He’ll start in Class AAA in 2016.

Chris Blessing