- 4 months ago
Atlanta Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos joined The Steakhouse to talk about the team's hot start, some of the bright stars of the early season, how the team assembled the roster during the spring, and even offered insight to how a general manager handles the final loss of a season as the conversation turned to the Hawks.
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00:00But anytime you get a chance to chat with this gentleman, you just say, listen, it's a check-in.
00:04I think we're one-fifth of the way.
00:05We're 20% through the season, and he's the general manager of the Atlanta Braves.
00:09He's Alex Anthopolis.
00:09He joins us.
00:10Alex, thanks for being with us.
00:12Good morning, guys.
00:13Glad to be on.
00:13Hey, obviously, Ansi Saleh, the Hawks GM, a counterpart in the business in a sense,
00:21not going to have a pleasant morning.
00:22I wonder all these years as a GM, is there any difference with how that last game ends
00:28in how restful your offseason is versus any other offseason?
00:33Because, obviously, the Atlanta Hawks had a rough week and a rough night,
00:37and I wonder, in the same job, what is that feeling like, and what's that offseason like?
00:42Yeah, that's a great question, and it definitely has an impact.
00:45Sometimes you have to be careful you don't over-index and over-weigh it
00:49because something can happen in a given series, in any sport, and whatever it might be.
00:55You could talk about football, baseball, basketball, and you were poor defensively,
00:59poor offensively, just in that series, and you take a small sample and you completely over-react.
01:04And, again, I'm similar to you guys.
01:08I'm a big fan of the Hawks, and I support them.
01:10But that series where Trey, everyone's like, we need another point guard.
01:16When he's off the court, we need a second point guard.
01:17And it was all about that playoff series, right?
01:19And then, all of a sudden, you do the DeJounte trade, which, for various reasons,
01:24didn't end up going the way everybody wanted.
01:26But, at least, being in Atlanta, that's how I remember it going down.
01:30There's just such a focus on that series and what happens that you might over-compensate.
01:37Look, from afar, I haven't actually had a chance to meet on, see some techs.
01:42I was in Toronto for the holidays.
01:43They were playing the Raptors, so I got to go with my son.
01:47You know, he got me seats, and we were the only two Hawks fans other than him cheering them on.
01:53But even from afar, this past offseason, I thought when he was doing it,
01:57because I'm a big NBA fan, too, I just liked the way he had the pieces all fit.
02:01It's the way he was constructing the roster.
02:03He was very thoughtful, in my opinion, not that I'm an expert in the NBA,
02:07but I just was very impressed with this last offseason with how the pieces were coming together.
02:11So, look, these painful losses, it does lead, sometimes it can lead to really good things.
02:17I mean, I can tell you, we lose Game 7, 2020.
02:22You know, we get to Game 7, that COVID year.
02:25We're driving back from Dallas, Arlington, wherever we were.
02:28And it's an emotional ride back.
02:30You know, we were up 3-1, and that's killing you.
02:34But it led to great things the following year.
02:37You know, it led to great things the following year.
02:39So, we were short on starters.
02:41We went out and got Charlie Morton and Drew Smiley.
02:43And, you know, obviously the next year we didn't expect,
02:46we didn't think it was going to result in a World Series.
02:47But good things can come of it.
02:49But it's like Sanders said this morning.
02:53It also allows you a real sense of looking in the mirror and saying,
02:59okay, what are we really?
03:01We're not as bad as we were last night, but maybe we aren't as fabulous.
03:04I mean, you go seven games with the Dodgers that year.
03:06You certainly look like the team is right there.
03:09But it obviously tells you, I still need to realize where we are lacking.
03:15Is that what you're referring to in general?
03:16Yeah.
03:16I mean, we looked, that season in 2020, we had to call up Ian Anderson.
03:20He was our number two starter.
03:21We were thin in the rotation during the year.
03:24And then in the postseason, Bryce Wilson has an unbelievable start.
03:26But we had to start A.J. Minter, one of those games.
03:30Right, right.
03:31And we just ran short.
03:32And we were just determined come the offseason, we're getting two starters.
03:36And Charlie Morton was one, Smiley was the other.
03:39And Smiley had an up-and-down year for us.
03:41But, you know, overall he helped us.
03:42And he helped us win a huge game in L.A. on the road.
03:46Who Oscar Hanoa got scratched.
03:48And then we had Shabba's open and Smiley coming behind him.
03:51I think three-and-a-third or three-and-two-thirds, no hit innings.
03:54So it worked out.
03:55But I think, like anything, it's not fun, obviously, to lose, no matter how you lose.
04:01We experienced the 2019 NLDS in the first inning.
04:05But good things can come of it.
04:07And, look, it's easy to say, sitting in my chair, if you really go look at glass half full, you
04:12know, we weren't in the plan this year.
04:13We finally had a series.
04:15You know, the team was coming together.
04:16The team was gelling.
04:17This is Jim's first year putting this thing together.
04:20Now he has all these draft picks.
04:22And money.
04:23And money.
04:24And max dollars, yeah.
04:27Yeah.
04:27So, I mean, I just think he's, you know, in my opinion, you know, smart beats rich.
04:33You know, and I think he's really smart.
04:35I think he's really sharp.
04:36And I think the Hawks are in really good hands.
04:39And I think the decision-making, I don't think he's focused so much.
04:42And I haven't talked to him.
04:43But on Splash, this and that, it's the right pieces that fit and so on.
04:46And he's just getting started.
04:47So, I think the upside is enormous.
04:49I don't think, Sandra, your girlfriends have ever said that smart beats rich.
04:53Never once.
04:53They've ever said that.
04:55Never.
04:55I've never said that.
04:56No, that is not.
04:57I'm saying sports, at least.
04:59It's sports.
05:00It's sports.
05:01Yes.
05:01Okay.
05:02I didn't think we'd be talking NBA with Alec Anthopoulos.
05:06But that's the beauty of having him on.
05:07Hey, you know, there's a lot of expressions like you can't win a division in April, but you can lose
05:12one.
05:13I don't know.
05:13I don't know if we lost it last year with the 0-7 start.
05:16It didn't help.
05:16But I was thinking about you.
05:18I think when Olsen hit the home run and we have the greatest start we've had in 26 years, and
05:23I thought, well, that's a much more pleasant way to spend your time than what you had to deal with
05:27last year.
05:27So, talk about the start and how different it's been.
05:30Yeah, look, there's no doubt.
05:31But even with that 0-7 start, and I'll remember that for a long time, you know, we still got
05:38back to .500.
05:38I think we got a game over at some point in May, which is incredible.
05:41And we were kind of hanging around.
05:43We had that Mets series at home where Sale went for the complete game, cracked the ribs, but he was
05:47out there for the ninth when he dove for the ball.
05:50And we were right there.
05:51And if you look at things like run differential and things like that, we were there with San Diego and
05:55Milwaukee and Philadelphia.
05:57And I think we were two or three or four under, but we were trending in the right direction.
06:01But we lose Sale next week.
06:03Schwalmbach pitches against the Phillies.
06:05He goes down.
06:06And then soon after, Holmes, and then it was over.
06:08You know, but I still wonder if those two guys, we had lost guys early, had been upright.
06:13Maybe we get to the deadline we had and so on.
06:16But, look, I would say the same thing if we'd gotten off to a slow start.
06:19It is so early.
06:20Look, we've been that team that's chased teams down.
06:23We've been eight games back.
06:24We've been under .500 in August.
06:26Look, I would much prefer this than starting off slowly.
06:29No doubt about it.
06:30You get to bank wins.
06:32And more importantly, we're actually playing well defensively, the bullpen, the rotation, all of it.
06:37You know, I talked about some of the pieces, the way they fit together and so on.
06:41This group, I felt it in spring training.
06:43I just, I think we got away from it a little bit last year just because of maybe short on
06:49talent and so on.
06:49But I think we really put an emphasis on the mix, the group, clubhouse.
06:55Not that it was bad, but we actually put more of a premium on it back this winter to have
07:01the right guys in the room and the right team rather than a collection of players.
07:05And I know that's a nuanced way to say it, but it's good vibes.
07:09And that was before.
07:10That was even in the spring.
07:10Even with everything that was going wrong and even going into the season, we just, the pieces fit.
07:15They complement each other.
07:16We're, it's a very, it's a tight-knit group.
07:18It's really good.
07:19So, it's a great start.
07:20We have a tough trip here.
07:22Really good teams.
07:23But, you know, we continue to rise to the challenge.
07:25And Walt and the staff are doing a great job.
07:27Can you say at this point, Alex, were you close to signing a starting pitcher after we lose so many
07:34at spring training?
07:36Was I close?
07:37No.
07:39You know, did we check in like everybody else?
07:41And trust me, I'm seeing everything, right?
07:43People are screaming for this person, that person, and all that kind of stuff.
07:47And look, it's the political axiom, right?
07:50If you're explaining, you're losing, right?
07:52And there's nothing I can do to make anybody feel better.
07:56But I can come on the radio and line things up, but nobody wants to hear it, right?
08:00So, it's probably just going to get people more upset, especially coming off the year we just had.
08:04So, I think bottom line is, you really, I know this is cliche and corny, but you really have to
08:10do what you believe is right, the right thing to do.
08:14There's been so many examples.
08:16And trust me, I definitely don't bat 1,000.
08:18We don't bat 1,000.
08:19We've made plenty of mistakes.
08:21But, you know, I remember there's times people are dying for you to trade for this guy, sign this guy,
08:26and so on.
08:27And you can do it to appease the masses in the offseason and maybe have a bit of a halo
08:31effect for a short period.
08:34But then once the game starts, no one cares, right?
08:36No one cares.
08:37And, you know, I remember talking to one of my sports friends when I was in Toronto.
08:40We were going to watch the Leafs in an NHL game.
08:42It was a very controversial trade.
08:45And I was defending the GM.
08:46It didn't work out and so on.
08:47And his response to me was, it's his job to be right.
08:50Even though we all supported the trade at the time, it didn't work out.
08:54So, it's his job to be right.
08:55And I think the bottom line is, we're judged by wins and losses.
08:59We deserve the scrutiny, the criticism when things don't go well.
09:03The bar for this organization in this city, in this town, in the south, is exceptionally high.
09:08I see how much everybody cares.
09:10I feel it.
09:10You know, I feel a lot better when I'm going to Whole Foods, getting groceries, and I see all these
09:14Braves hats.
09:14I'm not trying to duck and put my head down because I'm embarrassed, you know?
09:18Because you know how much this team matters.
09:21So, hopefully we keep the thing going and we have a great year.
09:25Let's talk about some of the great things that have happened in the rotation.
09:29I mean, obviously, Elder, another great start.
09:32So, chat on him.
09:33But even Richie and Martin Perez this week.
09:36I mean, it was kind of showcasing.
09:38We'll talk about Chris Sale in a second.
09:39But even those three guys, and particularly Chris and Grant Holmes, that group of you to stay calm and go,
09:47you know, all is fine.
09:49Let the process play itself out.
09:51It's not like you've always told us.
09:53We want eight starting pitchers, nine starting pitchers, because we know we're going to, you know, at some point.
09:57So, when things happen with Schellenbach and, you know, Hudson, you know, you had a plan in place.
10:05Yeah, look, I think at the end of the day, it's a tricky one where, of course, you always want
10:10to win now.
10:11You're also trying to maintain winning each year, right?
10:14I mean, before I got here, they went through a very, and you guys lived it, what, from afar, seemed
10:19like a painful rebuild.
10:2090 losses three years in a row.
10:22So, you know, that's hard.
10:25I mean, last season was hard.
10:26So, I can only imagine doing that three years in a row, having lived here for so long and seeing
10:31how much people look forward to the Braves in the summer
10:34and the importance of the team to the community and so on.
10:37So, trying to balance the short-term and the long-term, and look, we need to give some of these
10:41young guys opportunities.
10:43And that doesn't mean that, you know, I know it's criticized saying, well, we were open, like, Sandra's question, were
10:48we close?
10:49We weren't close.
10:50We checked in, we checked prices, and so on.
10:52We ultimately felt like with where things were going, it just wasn't because we didn't have the money.
10:58We just didn't believe in the deals.
11:00You know, that doesn't mean we're right because, again, it's going to bump off somebody else, right?
11:05So, Josh Donaldson, who I love, had him for two years as a GM, MVP in Toronto, and MVP caliber
11:10season here in Atlanta.
11:11You know, there was a point where we would do a contract, but at some point, hey, we don't want
11:16to have to move Austin Raleigh to the outfield, right?
11:17So, after so many years and so many dollars and so on.
11:21So, I think like anything else, depending on who they are, if it's a front-of-the-rotation guy and
11:26so on, and now you're going to bump out a Bryce Elder or one of these, some of these other
11:30guys, fine.
11:30But we like the talent we have.
11:33We like the young guys we have.
11:34We need to continue to give them opportunities as our other players are getting more expensive to be able to
11:39sustain this thing.
11:40You know, I'm in my ninth year here.
11:42Hopefully, we get to the playoffs again.
11:45And I'd be very proud of that if we could pull off eight out of nine years.
11:49You only have players for six years contractually.
11:51So, a lot of times you're thinking you have to churn this entire thing and start over again and rebuild,
11:57and we're trying to just keep it going for a long period of time.
12:00Give me three guys, maybe some of the ones we just mentioned, that have been an incredibly pleasant surprise, and
12:08that doesn't mean you didn't think they were good.
12:09But give me three or four guys on this team that's like, wow, I've really enjoyed this first stretch with
12:15them.
12:16I mean, look, there's no doubt.
12:17I mean, there's been so many nice moments, and Dom Smith, obviously, is the first one that comes today, just
12:22because he's individually won games for us.
12:24He's been great in the clubhouse, just great at bats.
12:28He's the one that really pops off the page.
12:31I'd say Dubon as well.
12:34He's been incredible.
12:35Just, you know, the value that, you know, having guys that could play center and shortstop.
12:39You have guys that could play second and left field and so on.
12:42But those are two premium positions, and he plays them well.
12:45And he can hit, but the makeup, how competitive he is, how smart he is, is great.
12:50And then, look, the last one for me, because I know he's just, he got destroyed all the time by
12:53fan base at times, and I understand, and he knows it too, is Bryce Elder.
12:57You know, I called him many times in the winter just to check in on him to talk about how
13:01good he was at the last six weeks or so.
13:04And normally, you don't pay attention to spring training, and you don't pay attention to September.
13:08But his velocity was up in September, and he was beating really good teams.
13:12Even at the end of August, he beat the Phillies, the Tigers, the Cubs.
13:15He was going six, seven innings.
13:17Those guys were competing for postseasons, for divisions.
13:19And he was throwing the ball really well, and he was out of options.
13:22And, look, he doesn't profile as a reliever.
13:25You know, if ultimately we signed a front-line starter, hang with him.
13:30He goes to the bullpen, and he waits for his opportunity.
13:32But our team was better with him performing the way he did it at the end.
13:36And you have to decide, am I buying it or not?
13:39And I think he would have a 1-7 or a 2-ERA, whatever it is right now.
13:42Of course not.
13:43But did we think he had a chance to be a really good starter for us?
13:46Yes.
13:47But I can go in the winter, talk about it all the time, and he needs to go out and
13:51do it.
13:51But I'm thrilled for him because I know the work he's put in, and he just kept his nose to
13:56the grindstone,
13:57and he continues to post.
13:58And the fact that he can do it, getting four days rest each time,
14:01and us allowing us to get rest for other players has been huge as well.
14:04What do you tell fans that are getting uptight about Austin Riley and worried about it?
14:09Obviously struggled again yesterday.
14:11Yeah, look, he knows it.
14:14I mean, one thing is he's been here before.
14:16You know, it's not something you want.
14:17You don't want to be streaky.
14:18You don't want to be up and down.
14:20I'm, I'll give you two examples.
14:23Harris and Albies, very accomplished guys.
14:26Harris, not as much, hadn't been here as long.
14:28But Harris' first two seasons had an over an 800 OPS.
14:31He was great.
14:32And then started to dip down some.
14:34And then last year, and I'm not saying this is going to be the same thing,
14:37but Harris and Albies at the All-Star break, so you're talking middle July, a long time,
14:42they were top 10 worst.
14:44Not in the National League, not in the National League East.
14:46And MLB worst OPSs.
14:49And, you know, that's, you wouldn't imagine it because they're so talented, they're so good,
14:53especially all these home runs, Silver Sluggers, All-Star games, and so on.
14:57And Riley as well.
14:59The work ethic, the person, the defense, the athleticism, he's going to get it going.
15:04I don't know when.
15:05We're working.
15:06He's working.
15:07We're looking at stuff.
15:07He is too.
15:08We thought with that road series in Philadelphia, who's going to get going again?
15:12I think the big part about this is we have other guys performing, stepping up, we're scoring
15:17runs.
15:18So he's got time to work through this.
15:20But obviously, when he gets going and some other guys get going, we should be that much
15:23stronger.
15:24But I have no doubt he'll come out of it.
15:25I just don't know when.
15:27And I'd say the same thing about Harris last year, same thing about Albies.
15:31I thought it was ridiculous to me that was talk about whether we'd exercise the option
15:34on Albies.
15:35You know, the last three months of the year, people are looking at the total.
15:39He was back to being Ozzy Albies.
15:41And Harris had six months of a tear, and then he slowed down again.
15:45But these guys are way too good.
15:46Austin's way too good.
15:47He's still young.
15:49He's just going through it right now.
15:51And, you know, we have examples of some guys take longer.
15:54Some guys are shorter.
15:562024, I think Austin had a rough series.
15:58I remember we were playing the Orioles.
16:00His OPS was within the low sixes.
16:02And then he went on a tear the second half of the year.
16:05So he will come out of it.
16:07I just can't say when, but he's going to work his tail off.
16:10Before you go, are you going on the road at all for this?
16:13Are you in town for the longest road trip of the year?
16:17It all depends.
16:19It's, you know, I always say when we're winning, I stay away.
16:22I don't need to be around.
16:24But if we're going on, if we have a move with the roster, which, look, we've got guys
16:29coming back from the IL.
16:30Now, Kim Soon, Sean Murphy, days away, he'll be back in the Seattle series.
16:35So some of those times, sometimes I just feel like, yeah, I need to be there to have a
16:40conversation with a player to be accountable and so on.
16:42And we have tough calls.
16:43Well, so if you're in town, what are the rules?
16:45Are you watching your, you know, pajamas for the late night?
16:47Are the kids allowed to stay up?
16:49That Dodgers series, obviously, we've got the Friday night game.
16:52Like, how do you handle road games?
16:53And is it somewhere where you watch?
16:55What are you doing during a game as the general manager of the Braves?
16:59Yeah, so I, my wife does not like to watch with me at all.
17:03She thinks I'm not optimistic enough.
17:06I'm not positive enough.
17:07And I'm just, like, mentally preparing myself, right?
17:10So, now, the issue is my 13-year-old son, sometimes he sees me react certain ways and
17:15he starts to copy me and that's not good.
17:17So, we try to adjust that.
17:19But I, um...
17:21Are you a different room?
17:22I move around.
17:22Living room?
17:23I'm not sitting with them watching, especially if we have somebody over, but I kind of like
17:27to do my own thing.
17:28But I will, you know, the thing is, if you put on the MLB at Bat app, it's a little
17:33bit
17:34ahead of the TV broadcast, so you can kind of cheat a bit, which is kind of tough.
17:39And I don't like that.
17:40I get the same thing.
17:41I get the alerts for the Braves and the four or five teams and then I'll see what something
17:46is.
17:46I feel good about this at Bat.
17:48Boom!
17:49You know, but like...
17:50Yeah, exactly.
17:50Takes away the fun.
17:52But, you know, look, the other thing, too, is I'm commenting, too.
17:54We have a group thread that, you know, we're just kind of going through.
17:58Look, during the game, sometimes you have to start planning out to map out, look, looks
18:02like we're going to be thin in the bullpen.
18:03What are we doing for tomorrow?
18:04Do we have to call down the Gwinnett and make sure so-and-so relievers?
18:07He doesn't throw.
18:08Let's say the Gwinnett game's in the fourth inning and the way things are going, we need to
18:11call someone up tomorrow.
18:13If, you know, whoever throws an inning or two in Gwinnett, he's not available for
18:16the next day, so sometimes we're working on those things.
18:19A lot of times, we'll spend the game talking through stuff, so when Walt comes in after
18:24a snit before, we've kind of gained it out, prepared it out to say, hey, look, here are
18:29the roster implications.
18:30We send this guy down, call this guy up, and now we've presented the options, and we're
18:34not sitting there spending an hour or two working through that.
18:37So there's a lot of that going on as well.
18:39Yeah, even on the West Coast at 11.15 at night, that's a lot of the deal.
18:43Okay.
18:43Hey, it's just always great to talk to you, and we love your perspective on everything,
18:49not just the Braves.
18:50So thanks for giving us 20 minutes, and congrats on a great start to the season, better than
18:55the alternative, and we appreciate you getting on with us.
18:58Always enjoy it, guys.
19:00Have a great Friday, day and night.
19:02Yeah, great weekend coming up.
19:03Alex Anthopoulos, general manager of the Atlanta Braves.
19:07Always thoughtful, always measured, and always open to talking about just about anything with
19:14A little bit of news.
19:15The Braves did DFA Joel Piams and Jose Suarez after yesterday.
19:21They've recalled Hunter Stratton, right-handed pitcher, and selected Anthony Molina, right-handed
19:27pitchers, to their major league roster.
19:29So as he was talking about this, that's going down, we figured they were going to be making
19:34moves.
19:34Yeah, especially after a rough deal.
19:35He wasn't close to signing a starting pitcher.
19:38I mean.
19:39Not even close.
19:40And I like how he threw flowers, too, also.
19:43He's, you know, he's had some guys step in the starting rotation.
19:47They've done a great job, right?
19:48But the guy he really wants to talk about is Bryce Elder, and rightfully so.
19:52Yeah.
19:52Bryce Elder is a former All-Star that has taken a lot of heat, and boy, has he been something
19:57else.
19:58All right.
19:58Well.
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