As part of revamping their front office by hiring Andrew Friedman as president of baseball operations and Farhan Zaidi as general manager in 2014, the Los Angeles Dodgers worked to assemble a deep and diverse group of front office executives.
Among the organization’s more notable hires was naming Alex Anthopoulos as vice president of baseball operations in January 2016. He joined the Dodgers shortly after stepping away from his post as Toronto Blue Jays general manager.
But like Gabe Kapler and Jeremy Zoll, Anthopoulos will not return with the Dodgers in 2018. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the heralded executive has agreed to join the Atlanta Braves as general manager:
Can report now Anthopoulos is getting #Braves GM job, announcement possible at GM Meetings
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) November 13, 2017
Although he will not hold the title, Anthopoulos is expected to serve as the de facto president of baseball operations for Atlanta, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com:
Confirmed Alex Anthopoulos will be named Braves GM. Though he won’t have the title, Anthopoulos will also likely handle the president of baseball ops duties
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) November 13, 2017
Anthopoulos replaces John Coppolella, who resigned amid the revelation of improprieties in international scouting. Previous reports indicated the Braves sought to hire general manager Dayton Moore, but were denied permission from the Kansas City Royals to interview him.
Prior to joining the Dodgers, Anthopoulos spent the six seasons as the Blue Jays general manager. He constructed a team that made their first postseason appearance in 22 years, and was subsequently named Sporting News’ MLB Executive of the Year in 2015.
Anthopoulos initially was hired by the Blue Jays as a scouting coordinator after the 2003 season. He was promoted to vice president of baseball operations and assistant general manager in 2006, then hired as the team’s GM in October 2009.
All the while tending to roster matters, the Dodgers need to fill their director of player development position, find an assistant director of player development, and potentially a replacement for Anthopoulos.
