John Coppolella has done it once again. Though it looked like it would be an impossibility to move Erick Aybar throughout the season, his recent hot streak was enough to garner a nice return from the Detroit Tigers.
Aybar was acquired in the Andrelton Simmons deal with the Angels during the offseason. Though he was an established veteran in L.A., Aybar simply was not the same guy in a Braves uniform and fans have been calling for his departure for months. He served as the stopgap between Simmons and Dansby Swanson, who is set to replace Aybar and make his major league debut on Wednesday. The number one pick in last year’s draft will have one of the most highly anticipated debuts in Braves history and represents a turning point in the team’s rebuild.
As far as the return goes, the Braves get Mike Aviles, a guy who can play multiple positions and at least serve as a body until the arrival of Dansby and Ozzie, assuming they get a taste of the bigs in September. The real prize in the return is catching prospect Kade Scivicque. He was a 4th round selection out of LSU in 2015, so he fits the bill of a college catching bat. He is ranked as the Tigers’ 20th best prospect and the best catcher in their system. He is hitting .282 with 6 homers and 41 RBI on the season, but is a 23-year old in A+ ball. He is still a couple years away. He likely projects as a backup in the big leagues, but offers the Braves a lottery ticket at arguably their weakest position in the farm.
Impressive that Coppy could get a top 20 prospect for Aybar given his horrendous start, but the guy did heat up and has a solid track record. The rich keep getting richer, and this system continues to add depth. This move allows the Braves to finally promote their future star. This is a very exciting day for Braves fans.