ATLANTA -- If everything goes according to plan, the most significant benefits of Alex Anthopoulos' first move as the Braves' general manager will not be felt until the start of the 2019 season. But there are also some obvious upsides to his successful attempt to trade Matt Kemp and his burdensome contract.
Anthopoulos set the stage for what the remainder of this offseason might bring and also improved the club's future financial position on Saturday, when he traded Kemp to the Dodgers in exchange for right-handed pitcher Brandon McCarthy, left-hander Scott Kazmir, utilityman Charlie Culberson and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who was designated for assignment upon completion of the trade.