The Atlanta Braves are hiring Dean Decillis in a prominent front office position. Here’s how it’ll help, and how it’ll impact the Blue Jays.
The Atlanta Braves are hiring Dean Decillis as special assistant to the general manager, according to sources. Decillis was most recently a special assignment scout with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Decillis, 55, is part of the solution to replace Dana Brown, who was Alex Anthopoulos’ right-hand man, and played a key significant role in scouting and drafting a significant portion of the Braves’ young core.
With much of that young core now in the majors, The Athletic recently ranked the Braves’ farm system at No. 29 in baseball, and Decillis will now be part of the scouting department responsible for replenishing that system.
Based on his previous track record, Decillis will be up for the challenge. He played a key role in finding, scouting and drafting star catcher Alejandro Kirk, with former Blue Jays scout Andrew Tinnish telling Sportsnet in July 2021 that it’s “one of the best scouting stories that I have ever been a part of. This is actually like the diamond in the rough.”
How Dean Decillis will help the Braves
In addition to Kirk, one of Decillis’ biggest success stories was the scouting of Santiago Espinal. In 2018, the Blue Jays traded first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce to the Boston Red Sox for Espinal in a move that was an afterthought to most. Espinal has since become an All-Star infielder in Toronto, hitting .280/.338/.378 with a .715 OPS in 253 career games, and emerged as a key part of their young roster.
Both players flew under-the-radar and are among the Blue Jays’ biggest scouting success stories. Now, Decillis will be tasked with doing the same in Atlanta with Anthopoulos, who he worked with for years in Toronto.
Additional note on the Blue Jays…
The Pittsburgh Pirates recently hired Blake Crosby as special assignment scout, according to a source. Crosby was previously with the Blue Jays as a national cross-checker and marks the second scout/executive to leave the organization.