Sean Murphy hops on Braves’ long-term extension train, with Alex Anthopoulos as engineer - The Athletic

Sustainability starts with ownership. The front office needs stability so that GMs can think long-term. Only the owner can provide the culture and stability required to create sustained success.

“I just think as I’ve become more comfortable in Atlanta, I understand the marketplace, the division, everything else — you have to be fluid in these jobs,” Anthopoulos said of using long-term extensions. “These guys, we think they’re going to be very good players. Yeah, there’s no guarantees and they certainly need to go out and perform and stay healthy. But I’ve said this before, too: I think it’s important for a fan base, as well.

“You (reporters) ask what I worry about the most, and it’s the sustainability piece. I see how well the organization is being run, from (Braves presidents) Derek Schiller and Mike Plant and obviously (chairman) Terry McGuirk overseeing all of us, what they have going on on the business side of the operation. And I feel like, from a baseball operations standpoint, we have to pull our weight. We have to put a good product on the field every year, no matter what. And part of that is the sustainability piece. We don’t want to be in a position where we’re talking about having to trade guys away because they’re getting close to free agency, or that we can’t sign them.”