The Atlanta Braves like Dansby Swanson so much that they targeted him in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks prior to dealing Andrelton Simmons to the Los Angeles Angels.

"We've been in talks with Arizona since the end of the 2015 season," John Coppolella said. "We hoped to get Swanson, but we didn't know if, or how, the deal would materialize. We saw him as a fit for us, whether we made the Simmons trade or not. We just want really good players and he's a really good player."

According to rumors, Arizona was close to trades with the Cleveland Indians and Miami Marlins that would have ruined Atlanta's chances of landing Swanson.

"I don't know if Swanson would have been involved had the Diamondbacks made a deal with one of those teams," Coppolella said. "But if they had gotten a starting pitcher from one of them, they probably wouldn't have made the trade with us. We wouldn't have ended up with Swanson."