NASHVILLE – They started the Braves' trading frenzy relatively quietly with a Tommy La Stella-for-Arodys Vizcaino deal with the Cubs on Nov. 16, 2014, but the Johns – general manager John Coppolella and president of baseball operations John Hart – really got the deal machine cranked the next day by sending Jason Heyward (and Jordan Walden) to St. Louis in exchange for pitchers Shelby Miller and prospect Tyrell Jenkins.
That’s when the howls of protest began from so many Braves fans upset that one of their favorite players, Heyward, had been traded away rather than re-signed. Heyward would be a free agent after the 2015 season, and the Braves had determined that his expected asking price of more than $20 million annually in a long-term deal was beyond what they could or would commit to the right fielder.
Less than 13 months later, after getting an All-Star season outof Miller, they traded him and minor league lefty Gabe Speier to the Diamondbacks for a bounty that included outfielder Ender Inciarte, right-handed prospect Aaron Blair and top shortstop prospect Dansby Swanson, who played at Marietta High School and was the No. 1 overall selection in the 2015 June draft out of Vanderbilt. Swanson had a $6.5 million signing bonus, all of it paid by the Diamondbacks.
While some fans still rue the Heyward trade, the quantity and quality of players and prospects the Braves have leveraged from that one trade – from giving up one season of Heyward before free agency — is staggering.
“Let’s assume we hold Jason Heyward. We would have draft pick 35,” Coppolella said, noting the position of the compensatory pick the Braves would’ve received if they had kept Heyward for the 2015 season and then watched him sign with another team as a free agent.
“What we’ve turned that into, in essence is, pick (number) 1 in the 2015 draft, who’s paid for already; the signing bonus is paid, he’s ours, we didn’t pay the bonus. Ender Inciarte, who hit over .300, stole over 20 bases and was among the leaders in Defensive Runs Saved. Aaron Blair, who had a 3.12 ERA in (Triple-A) Reno, one of the (best) hitter’s parks.
“As well as Tyrell Jenkins, who’s right at the door knocking.”
Jenkins was the Braves’ minor league pitcher of the year and could make his big-league debut at some point during the 2016 season.
“So, I don’t know what’s going to be there at pick 35, but I’m thinking that might be better than pick 35,” Coppolella said, smiling. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
He added, “Our fans might not see it right now, but they will see it in time. And they’ll say, wow, these are some really good guys.”
