Rowland's Office

Aside from Bill Lucas, Atlanta’s first GM’s scored poorly in our rundown. The final trio need not worry about passing grades.

Bobby Cox (1986-’90)

The old tractor jockey must’ve hated Toronto. Why else would he leave a young, talent-laden team that had just fallen one victory shy of a World Series berth? Especially to come to Atlanta, where he had been fired four years earlier. He didn’t even get to hire the Braves’ new manager; Ted had already inked Chuck “Parade down Peachtree” Tanner.

Bobby’s first trade was decidedly underwhelming, sending minor leaguer Miguel Sosa to the Yanks for Billy Sample, whose play on the field was as uninspiring as his work behind the mic. Four days later, he traded a future Cy Young winner and a useful platoon outfielder to the Phils for the player who would become the team’s all-time team leader in meaningless homers. The trade of Bedrock and Milt Thompson may not have looked so bad had Pete Smith, Philly’s first round draft pick in ‘84, been able to stay healthy. Bust that it was, Bobby’s first big deal established his plan to re-arm the franchise with talented young hurlers.

His first draft was dynamite, though only top pick Kent Mercker would play for the Braves, who couldn’t sign late round steals Steve Finley, Ben McDonald and Tim Salmon. Later in ‘06 Bobby made a terrible deal, sending Duane Ward to Toronto for Doyle Alexander, though it would set up the greatest trade in Atlanta Braves history.

Besides the Smoltz deal, Bobby also pulled off a series of seemingly minor swaps — acquiring Charlie Leibrandt, Marvin Freeman and Francisco Cabrera and signing Lonnie Smith off the scrap heap — that paid off big. And his drafts yielded Steve Avery, Mike Stanton, Mark Wohlers, Ryan Klesko and Chipper Jones.

Then there’s the Murphy trade. The Mets agreed to send Dykstra, HoJo and Rick Aguilera to the Bravos for the two-time MVP prior to the ‘89 season, but Bobby insisted on David West and the deal fell apart. I’m kind of glad it did, as 1991 would’ve likely played out much differently.

TP wouldn’t have been a Brave — not with HoJo entrenched at third. Johnson was damn good in ‘91, clubbing 38 homers and stealing 30 bases, though he lacked TP’s considerable intangibles. There wouldn’t have been much need to acquire Otis, either, with Dykstra in a Braves uniform. While he had a better career than Otis, Dykstra played just 63 games in ‘91 and is an asshole and cheater to boot.

That said, Rick Aguilera’s 42 saves would’ve come in handy.

Grade: B

John Schuerholz (‘91-’07)

I wasn’t thrilled by this hire , having known JS as the guy who traded David Cone for Ed Hearn. He did some good things in KC, of course, namely through the draft, but I remember pining for Whitey Herzog. Wrong again.

The Clint Sammons of the '90 Braves

Still, I wasn’t immediately convinced. Hard to get excited about signing Sid Bream (the white Dan Driessen) and TP, who finished 1990 with 19 errors and a .601 OPS. His first trade, for 32-year-old career reserve Otis Nixon, seemed negligible. It would be six years before he’d make a bad deal.

But in late March, 1997, JS lost his mind.  Over a span of two days he exchanged David Justice, Marquis Grissom and Jermaine Dye for Kenny Lofton, Michael Tucker, Alan Embree and Keith Lockhart. I actually liked the trade with Cleveland; Justice was coming of an injury, while Lofton was the most exciting player in the game, batting .317 with 14 homers and 75 steals in ‘96. Wrong again.

Trading Adam Wainwright, Elvis Andrus and Neftali Feliz for a couple of mercenaries was less understandable, though through his retirement JS still proved capable of a steal or two. St. Louis gave up Danny Haren for Mark Mulder; JS got Oakland’s other ace for Dan Meyer and Charlie Thomas.

Yes, he made two of the worst deals in franchise history, and his drafting was spotty, but the record speaks for itself.

Grade: A-

Frank Wren (‘07-present)

His first trade as Braves GM won’t soon be forgotten, and while he has no concept of public relations the Sparrow has yet to make a major blunder. We know he can build a pitching staff on the fly — can he do the same with an offense?

Grade: B+