When the Braves signed veteran outfielder Nick Markakis to a four-year, $44 million contract in December, it left some folks scratching their heads and asking, why Markakis? Why now?
And when the Braves proceeded to trade Justin Upton a couple of weeks later, then Evan Gattis in January, and finally Craig Kimbrel last week, each trade aimed at building for the future, more people – fans, baseball writers, various industry insiders – asked why the Braves had signed Markakis, 31, to a long-term contract that seemed so contradictory to their other moves.
Well, for one thing, at the time of the move the Braves, after trading Jason Heyward in November, had no one in the organization they were confident could play right field on a daily basis in 2015 and give them solid production.
But beyond that, it was a move designed to bring a steady veteran into the organization, an Atlanta-area native (Woodstock High School) who had built a reputation during nine seasons with the Orioles as a consummate professional and influential clubhouse presence, one who didn’t say a lot but commanded respect when he did.
On Friday, before their home opener against the Marlins, Braves assistant general manager John Coppolella was asked specifically to explain why the Braves thought signing Markakis was a good move.
“He’s a really good person, a really good leader, and I think he would fit us whether we’re a team that trades away Craig Kimbrel, Jason Heyward, Upton, Gattis and all those guys — I think he fits,” Coppolella said. “Whether we’re the team that wins the 2015, 2016, or 2017 World Series – he’s a good person, he’s a good leader, he’s a good fit. You want guys like him on your team.”
Among the biggest proponents of signing Markakis was Braves director of player development Dave Trembley, the Orioles’ manager from 2007-2010. When the Braves went to Baltimore in late November to take Markakis to dinner and give them their sales pitch, Trembley accompanied Coppolella and manager Fredi Gonzalez on the recruiting trip.
Markakis signed soon after, leaving a lot of Orioles fans upset over their team’s reluctance to give him as lucrative an offer as the Braves did. Baltimore had been concerned about Markakis’ health, since he’d played with a bulging disk for two seasons. He had surgery two weeks after signing with the Braves. After four months of rest and rehab, Markakis was ready to play late in spring training and drove in the Braves’ first run in a 2-1 opening-day win.
“This guy’s a great leader and a great player,” Coppolella said. “We thought he fit us really well. We had a lot of inside information from Dave Trembley, who managed him when (Markakis) was a kid with the Orioles. I think he’s a guy that we want in a year that we’re kind of remodeling, but he’s also a great fit if we win the World Series in 2015, 2016, 2017…. Whatever year it is, he’ll be a big part of the team.
“He can hit anywhere in the lineup. He (works) counts and he plays a great right field. There isn’t anything wrong with this player, anything that he doesn’t do well. He’s a very good player who fits not only what we’re going through now as we try to remodel, but as we start getting to the playoffs and getting to the World Series, he will be a key part of that as well.”
