Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos is at or near the top of the list if you’re looking for baseball general managers who are the masters of “saying nothing” while verbally communicating a lot. Known for keeping the Braves front office tightly closed off from information, Anthopoulos has developed a skill for deflecting questions about anything that even slightly resembles speculation by mixing in a generous dose of “we aren’t going to divulge our plans or negotiate in public” with astute word salads that sidestep the issue altogether.
To be fair, the strategy has worked wonders for the Braves, as they have been able to negotiate deals for players such as Chris Sale, Matt Olson, and Sean Murphy, largely out of the spotlight of the sports media. The front office has undoubtedly been able to close transactions that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible without having to deal with public pressure, and that is a positive thing.
Nevertheless, Anthopoulos does possess a small amount of troll personality, as evidenced by a recent interview on 680 The Fan. He said his son was quite enthusiastic when the Braves checked in on the availability of a “good player” towards the end of the session.
Which “good player” are the Braves currently targeting in a trade?
Of course, this comes with all of the standard warnings. Right now, AA could very well be enjoying himself or engaging in a little bit of deceit. He also went to considerable lengths to withhold any additional information regarding the “good player” Atlanta had inquired about, the likelihood of a deal being completed, or even the player’s potential position. Aside from getting people excited, all he actually did was probably fielding a tonne of questions about it from his buddies, which is amusing.
But maybe if we looked closely, we may find some hints. It is beneficial that Anthopoulos’ 11-year-old kid is aware of this fantastic player due to his high level of name recognition. We can presumably rule out the infield and catcher, even though we are unable to pinpoint the exact position that the athlete could play. That leaves a pitcher of some kind or an outfielder.
It’s likely that the talk occurred with a team that has already declared its intention to be out of it, as it took place even before the trade deadline. We will continue to wager on another trade with the A’s for Brent Rooker and/or Mason Miller, but perhaps a conversation with former Braves front office executive Perry Minasian about a trade for the Angels’ Taylor Ward could be the solution. Miller possesses booming strikeout stuff with a powerful fastball, while Rooker smacks a tonne of bombs. Yes, that sounds like it would be perfect for AA’s son.
