Braves General Manager John Coppolella acknowledged that an offseason of turnover was difficult at times. But heading into his 10th season with the organization, Coppolella says he’s never been more excited for the future.
“We had a good run from 2010 through 2014, where I think we won more games than any team in the NL,” Coppolella said Saturday during FanFest at Turner Field. “I think we have a chance to be better than that.”
Coppolella is focused on post-season success, something the Braves haven’t experienced in more than a decade. The team’s last playoff series win came in 2001.
“That’s what this is about; trying to get talent that can go deep (in the playoffs),” Coppolella said. “We’ve got one world championship for the city, and we’ve got to get that number up. We’ve got to get deep, try to find a way to where we can go deep in the playoffs.”
Coppolella’s plan is centered on acquiring pitching and building around home-grown players. He noted that the team received pitching in every trade made during the offseason.
“Even with all the pitching that we’ve got, we still need more,” Coppolella said. “That’s the plan, basically, is to build around pitching. It’s how the Braves were built throughout the 1990s. But really, the plan for us is to build around young, home-grown players, and to try to avoid signing free agents unless they can really finish off your team.”
