Braves President John Schuerholz Talks Upton Trade

Surprised they tracked him down at the Quail (sp) Unlimited hunting trip…I guess Pheasants Forever was booked solid.

Schuerholz couldn’t help but gush about the moves his franchise made 24 hours earlier.

“What a dynamic and talented outfield that will be with a lot of upside for many, many years to come. Defense, power and speed…throughout our line up. These three guys (Justin Upton, B.J. Upton and Jason Heyward) and all the rest of the guys in our line up are going to give us a chance to have a real exciting year,” Schuerholz said Friday at the Albany Civic Center.

The lengthy process to put the Upton brothers and Heyward together in the Braves outfield was well worth it for the Braves President. Though, the casualties of Martin Prado and prospects will hurt the clubhouse and the field.

Schuerholz didn’t downplay Prado’s significance, but it was a sacrifice the organization had to make.

“To include a player like Martin Prado, you have to give up those kinds of guys. No matter how much we admire him, how well he’s played for us and how beloved he is…to get a guy as perfectly a fit as Justin Upton was for us, you had to be willing to do that,” Schuerholz said.