After Braves CEO Terry McGuirk told Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that “everyone is accountable” in Atlanta, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders if General Manager Frank Wren and manager Fredi Gonzalez could be in trouble. Gonzalez oversees an offense that often looks lost and is next-to-last in the National League in runs per game. Wren, meanwhile, gave contracts to second baseman Dan Uggla (who has since been released) and center fielder B.J. Upton that didn’t pan out.
While anything is possible given their recent struggles, people in the industry would be surprised if the Braves made major changes, unless tension is building underneath the surface that people aren’t aware of. Wren is close with McGuirk, major league sources say, and Gonzalez was Wren’s hand-picked choice to replace Bobby Cox. Here’s more from today’s column..
- The Pirates want to keep Russell Martin, but the veteran’s price in free agency could be too rich for their blood. The 31-year-old will be the best and youngest catcher on the market by far and even though catchers historically don’t cash in in free agency, he won’t be had for another two-year, $17MM bargain. He won’t garner something like Miguel Montero’s five-year, $60MM extension but he should at least beat the three-year, $26MM free-agent deal that the Carlos Ruiz signed last winter entering his age 35 season. Pittsburgh could try to keep Martin with a one-year, ~$15MM qualifying offer, but as Rosenthal notes, they didn’t do that with A.J. Burnett last winter. Martin ranked ninth in Tim Dierkes’ most recent Free Agent Power Rankings for MLBTR. Dierkes suggested Martin could receive a four-year deal north of $50MM.
- Rosenthal wouldn’t be surprised if Joe McEwing winds up as the next manager of the Diamondbacks. Even if he doesn’t land with Arizona, White Sox officials say McEwing’s intelligence and energy will make him a strong candidate for other jobs.
- Drew Smyly is benefiting from the Rays’ focus on analytics. Upon joining the team, the Rays gave the 25-year-old some keen instruction and asked him elevate his fastball more. Those tips have led to some great work by Smyly in Tampa Bay and Rosenthal wonders why the Tigers didn’t pick up on some of the same things.
- The Orioles lost catcher Matt Wieters, but the makeshift combination of rookie Caleb Joseph and Nick Hundley, acquired from the Padres in May, has proven quite adequate. The two have combined for an OPS right around the American League average at catcher.
- While the Mets like second baseman Dilson Herrera, Rosenthal says that doesn’t mean they should trade Daniel Murphy. No team will give the Mets comparable offensive talent for Murphy and the smart move would be to instead sign him to an extension.
I have been an avid supporter of FG through his time in Atlanta, but if they fail to make the playoffs I believe he will be let go, and I wouldn’t be to upset at that notion. However, I think it would be a mistake to let Wren go in my own opinion.
I truly feel as though the catalyst of the problems is Greg Walker, I just believe a different batting approach is needed by all the hitters. It’s not that Walker hasn’t put in his effort, it’s just if it doesn’t work the 215th time… Why on earth would it work the 216th time?
They just had parrish a few years ago and he “didn’t get through to them” either and he got canned. This team is a feast or famine offense. Either they hit homers and win or they strike out like crazy or dp and lose.
I have also been an avid Braves supporter (and continue to be from Mets Land), but even if they make the playoffs, major changes are needed. Why? They won’t go far in the playoffs – just like years past. They’re not built to win. The Uptons aren’t winners, many of the rookies haven’t gone past a playoff game, and no one is battle-tested nor is there any consistency with the line-up (2B-platoon?) When our bullpen has been a strength in years past, this year it’s not very good outside of Kimbrel. We have no bench (a beleaguered catcher?: Doumit). Make no qualms about it, this team needs to be held accountable despite early season TJ excuses for not winning. Make Gattis available and look what you can get for Mike Minor (after he’s done rebuilding his stock — he’s up for FA soon).
Not sure why you say “the Uptons” aren’t winners. BJ is a horrible player but Justin is one of the best players in major league baseball.
If Gattis is made available then the offense could be even worse next year unless BJ, Chris Johnson and Simmons are all gone and replaced with good hitters.
They haven’t won anything. That’s all I’m saying. Not all their faults, but it could say more about the teams their own then them. I like Justin, but he isn’t that clutch and loves to hit his best when the bases are empty — again, not all his fault.
Nobody on the Braves current roster has won anything. So why single out the Uptons?
Are you seriously implying that the braves should get rid of Simmons? That is ubsurd, if you want to get rid of Johnson… Fine… I don’t agree with that either but everyone has different thoughts. But getting rid of Simmons would be a tremendous mistake.
Why? Because some flawed subjective metric says his glove makes up for his nonexistent bat?
No. Because people who play and watch a ton of baseball say his glove makes up for his below average bat.
All in all, SS is a glove-first position, much like C. Yes, great if they can have a high OBP, SB, etc., but Tulowitzki is the exception, not the expectation.
His glove isn’t even all that its cracked up to be. He makes a few flashy plays and people forget that he commits a ton of errors.
He commits a “ton of errors” because he gets to balls that most players in the game just wouldn’t be able to reach and therefore unable to boot.
His glove is elite; he’s one of the best SS of the past twenty years. He has been below average offensively but it’s very probable and completely possible he’ll make an improvement moving forward especially considering his age and how often he makes contact. He did hit 17 homers last year. Also, don’t forget that athletes can get better and in some cases, much better. Yadier Molina was a below average offensive player for the first 5 years of his career and 6 of the first 7.
Agreed Crowe, but in order to move BJ, we might be forced to give up someone like Simmons (in other words it probably won’t happen). CJ probably could have been moved if that contract extension weren’t quite as high.
Why exactly aren’t the Upton’s “winners?” Just looking at B.J. he has played on 7 straight winning teams, including 5 90 win teams, 4 playoff teams, 3 division winners and a World Series team. He also has a career .854 OPS in 28 playoff games.
So, he’ll be good once you’re there, but you’re on your own getting there, right?
No, BJ Upton has become a terrible player and has fallen off of a cliff much sooner and younger than anyone expected. He no longer helps a team get to the playoffs and shouldn’t be expected to help a team once there. However, Justin is still a very good player. The idea that the two brothers aren’t “winners” is just foolish and I was using BJ’s inclusion on winning teams to show that. .
BJ had one great year and one decent year. The bad part is, they were both long before the Braves signed him to that horrible contract.
From 2010-2012 BJ Upton had a 109 OPS+, 109 wRC+ and averaged 23 HR and 36 SB with an 80% success rate. He was top 10 among CF in HR, 2B, R, RBI, SB, BB and wRC+.
At the time he was a top 10 CF entering his age 28 season. In hindsight the contract looks terrible, but it wasn’t nearly as bad at the time he signed it.
Wren is terrible. However, no matter what happens I do not think either of them will be let go after this season.
The hitting guys are dead men walking. If they do make a big change I’m guessing Fred gets the boot and Wren is retained but he will have a tight leash on him.
He is not terrible. Yes, Uggla and BJ Upton you can’t look past, but extending Freeman, Kimbrel, Simmons, Teheran, while trading for Uggla (for Mike Dunn, Omar Infante), McLouth (for Gorkys Hernandez, Jeff Locke, Charlie Morton), Bourn (for Schafer, Brett Oberholtzer, etc.), and J-Up/Chris Johnson (for Prado, Randall Delgado, etc.) all looked like wins at the time. In the case of Uggla/McLouth/BJ Upton, they never produced like they did on their former teams, for whatever reason. Remember Rafael Soriano was in ATL and wasn’t incredible until he surprisingly accepted the QO and was traded to TB, where he revamped his career?
Wren’s accolades would look much better if he had a better managerial staff that could get more out of our players than they do. Combine Fredi Gonzalez with this line-up (that Wren is also responsible for) and they couldn’t manufacture runs if they built a factory.
Amen
I have to disagree about Soriano. He was lights out in Atlanta most of the time
Firing the hitting coach for this problem is like blaming a video for the sacking of an American consulate or an accountant in Cinncinnati for the IRS’s criminal activity. Greg Walker is delegated the authority to work on hitting for the Atlanta Braves, not the responsibility. He works for the organization. If the organization didn’t like his instruction, they could have stopped it on any day in this long long disaster of an offensive season.
DO IT. PLEASE fire fredi and wren!
I feel very strongly that Russell Martin will be back in Dodger Blue in 2015.
pirates would be fools to not do whatever it takes to keep martin
I think three years, ~$30M-33M is reasonable for both sides, but if either goes out of that range, I won’t be surprised if it doesn’t happen. Four years is too long, and two years would be too expensive. But three is just right. As a catcher, I don’t think you can really demand much more from a small team at 31. Taking on a catcher through age 34 is already a risk.
Teams will be looking for a catcher in the offseason but i don’t think they will bid high for Martin,so i expect to see him get three years 30-33 million either with the Pirates or some other team.
Braves need to sweet talk Don Baylor away from the Angels and back to Atlanta. (only as hitting coach)
Only if Chipper wants to stay up in that hunting tree stand in the middle of the woods.
Agreed.
The Pirates didn’t give Burnett the QO, simply because he wasn’t worth $14.1mil. And the Pirates were dead on balls accurate on that one. Martin is a different story. While I don’t think he’ll accept a QO, I do expect the Pirates to at least extend the offer.
Fredi Gonzalez has never seemed like much of a motivator. Plus he seems to overwork his best bullpen guys. Add to that, he re-inserts Heyward at lead-off after he struggled there early in the season even though he was producing in the 5 / 6 hole during middle months. Gonzalez needs to be replaced IMO.
I wonder what Jason Varitek is up to, I think he’d make a good manager.
former catchers do seem to do well in the Manager role.
Fredi was a career MiLB catcher.
I just don’t see much urgency from him or his players to win ballgames.
See previous post regarding my concern regarding his use of the pitching staff.
The Braves have 40 that can win many more than 2014 with better leadership.
I also think Kevin Youkilis would make a good batting or even a 1st/3rd coach. Both Youk and Varitek as a players knew the importance of working the count and taking walk when needed as well as clubhouse presence. Not that I’m trying to promote former Red Sox players but both were well respected and respected individuals that knew how to prepare for games. They add qualities that the Braves are lacking currently.
He’ll get his chance with the Sox in a few years when Lucchino grows tired of Farrell.
Interesting, but I think they would consider Eddie Perez, especially for his loyalty and building relationships within the clubhouse, before they looked to Varitek, who hasn’t had any ties to ATL that I know of. Varitek would be an admirable choice anywhere, but ATL loves to pick up their rolodex.
E.Perez would most likely be in the running if the job becomes available. As far as Veritek having connections to ATL he did go to Georgia Tech. but beyond that I have no idea.
I agree that Fredi needs to go but Heyward has produced in the middle of the order AND at lead-off. He struggled at the beginning of the season but I doubt it was because of where he was hitting in the order.
It’s not always the Yankees driving up prices on players. That horrible deal the Phillies paid for 35 year old Ruiz is rancid.
It all depends on what the Mets could get for Murphy. If they can package Murphy with one of Colon/Niese/Gee, Alderson could surely get something of value back. In any case, Herrera will be more valuable than Murphy very soon – perhaps as early as 2015.
Colon wont bring anything…….. Murphy is a good bat with average at best defense. I’d sign him to at most 2 years. Herrera can work into 2B and Murphy can play some OF/1B during the transition
“…a good bat with average at best defense.”
Murphy has a great bat, but on the other hand (and although I am not quite sure exactly where the dividing line is between “average” defense and “bad”), he does have 15 errors on the season and it isn’t even over yet. Although he has been known to pull a circus play from time to time, that by itself seems pretty bad to me.
As for putting him in the OF, I remember that was tried and his performance out there was blooper reel material, to say the least.
Murphy’s bat is only really an asset at a middle infield position. If you moved him to first, he’d lose a bit of his value. Both him and Duda are lefties, too, so a platoon is out. Plus, he was not good in the OF.
Murphy doesn’t play OF. It’s been tried and he was exceptionally poor at it. Worse than Duda bad; he just couldn’t get reads.
I think so, too. Murphy and Niese I think would bring back the best package.
It’s hard not to judge Herrera on the small sample size from the past few weeks, but he looks really comfortable for someone who is only 20 and who skipped AAA. I’m glad Murphy is back and I love him as a player but I would have liked to see Herrera play out the rest of the season at 2B
With Wright out, Murphy should be getting time at 3B as well, making space for Dilson to start at least 10 more games before the end of the seasons.
I don’t think anyone can blame Wren on the Uggla contract. Just about everyone was thrilled with the trade and extension when it was done. It was a basically a steal. Predicting that kind of plummet from him was impossible.
BJ on the other hand, was a huge risk even at the time.
Gonzalez wasn’t hand picked by Wren, he was hand picked by Cox himself to be his successor and Wren had no choice but to say yes. Do you really think he’s going to say to someone like Bobby, “I’d like to interview other people and make my own decision because I’m the GM?” He!! no he wouldn’t.
Totally agree, but that’s something that needs to be considered by McQuirk – and I think will be. IMO, Fredi is too much like Bobby.
Gonzalez wasn’t Wren’s hand-picked choice. He was Bobby’s.
Fredi absolutely needs to go (I’ve been saying this since about May of 2011). Wren absolutely needs to stay.
Find me one GM in baseball who hasn’t given out a bad contract or two.
Wren has been fine. Some of the contracts have hurt, but I don’t remember anyone who didn’t think the Uggla trade was exceptional for Atlanta. He just inexplicably fell off the table. Over the years Wren has stuck to his guns and held onto prospects instead of mortgaging the future for a temporary fix (Jake Peavy talks). He’s done pretty well on the trade front as well as has made some great waiver claims.
I hope Freddi Gonzalez gets fired, then McDowell will leave the Braves to replace Terry Collins as manager of the Mets.
I wonder if Chipper will consider coaching down the road.
Ken Rosenthal, Smyly was really, really good in Detroit. Especially when you consider he was a 23-25 year old who was bounced back and forth between the bullpen and starter. He also didn’t get consistent reps as the fifth starter with Detroit’s strange first half schedule and rainouts. He was the reason they felt comfortable trading Fister for very young upside pitching.
He will not pitch to a 1.70 era for the rest of his career because of an elevated fastball. He is young and streaky. He should perform better in Tampa with less stress and a more consistent role.
Those who thought Tampa got robbed didn’t do their homework.
I wouldn’t say that allowing more hits than IP was “really, really good”, but agree that he certainly showed promise. Also agree that consistency, knowing he’s going to be out there every fifth day, helps, but at the same time, he’s certainly elevated his game since the trade.
He hasn’t allowed more hits than innings pitched as a Tiger. The point is he has been a talented and very effective pitcher since his 2012 call up, which hasn’t always been reflected in his fantasy stats for a variety of reasons. His bullpen work in 2013 was excellent.
To imply he is going to be able to pitch to a 1.70 era going forward, like he has in Tampa, because of an elevated fastball,is silly and diminishes the talent he has flashed in the past.
Sandy Alderson has already said he has no payroll flexibility next year. And the Mets after being rid of Chris Young’s 7.5 million dollar salary still have 22 million dollars coming (at least) via arbitration raises.
And since the Wilpons are broke, its a absolute must that Colon and Murphy be moved. So, absolutely zero chance of an extension unless they can get rid of Wright or Granderson’s contract…which ain’t happening’.