Evolution of the Atlanta Braves rebuild part two: 2016

We look at the Atlanta Braves from the end of the 2015 season until the end of the 2016 season and how certain moves helped shape the roster for the 2020 season.

Two-thousand-and-sixteen was surely the worst year for the Atlanta Braves over the last 30 years. The rebuild was in full effect and the Atlanta Braves were closing out Turner Field with a whimper.

As far as the roster goes, it was much of the same as the 2015 season as the Braves made changes with eyes on the future. They did not make as many moves as the year prior, but the moves they made still had a major impact on the future rosters, including the upcoming 2020 Atlanta Braves roster.

The first big move of the franchise came just days after closing out the 2015 season as on October 1, 2015, the Atlanta Braves appointed John Coppolella as the team’s new general manager.

John Coppolella or “Coppy” as much of us know him, was heralded as a bright young mind with a keen eye for young talent.

He had spent almost 10 years within the Atlanta Braves organization before ultimately being promoted to the GM spot that was vacated after the firing of Frank Wren.

Of course, hindsight is 20/20 as they say, but it seemed as if Coppy was the right man for leading us through a few dark years with the expectation of competing within a few years.

As I’m sure you all know, we will get more into the Coppolella stuff in another part of this series.

Before we get into the moves that ultimately decided the current team at the time and of course the future team, let’s go ahead and get all of the coaching and front office moves out of the way.

The other big news during the 2016 season was obviously the dismissal of then-manager Fredi Gonzalez and the hiring of his replacement Brian Snitker.

Gonzalez was let go while the team was in Pittsburgh in May after starting the season an abysmal 9-28. Snitker would lead the team to a record of 59-65 the rest of the way, which in turn handed him the job for the foreseeable future.

As we all are aware, Brian Snitker is still the Atlanta Braves manager and has won the Manager of the Year once already and was a finalist another time. It’s safe to say that move is still paying off.

Now let’s get to the main part of this piece and start discussing the transactions that would help shape the future of the Atlanta Braves.