Atlanta Braves: Big Changes Needed

As I head to Turner Field this weekend to watch our beloved Atlanta Braves I do so with far more sadness than usual. The last few seasons did not end with postseason success, but winning the NL East last season and bringing a young core into 2014 gave Braves fans some optimism. Going to Turner Field last year was a joy, every game you expected the Braves to win or at least compete. Flash forward to today and all that optimism is gone.

It is clear changes need to be made all throughout the organization. Players, coaches, and management. The question is who should go and who should stay? My favorite thing about Tomahawk Take is that all writers are encouraged to share their opinions. Alan and Fred have offered their ideas about what needs be done next year, so in keeping with the trend I guess I’ll take my turn at bat.

Front Office 

It all starts at the top. Frank Wren’s time as general manager has been a mixed bag. He landed Justin Upton and has seen homegrown talents like Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, Andrelton Simmons, Craig Kimbrel, Evan Gattis, Julio Teheran, and Alex Wood find big league success. On the flip side he made the ill-advised Dan Uggla trade (though to be fair it did not look quite as bad at the time), and he signed B.J. Upton to the now infamous 5 year 75 million dollar contract. He also has seen the minor league system decline through several weak draft classes.

Frank Wren’s time may be up in Atlanta and the perfect replacement is already in house. Assistant General Manager John Coppolella should be promoted to General Manager after Wren is let go. He is highly regarded in the industry as a good people person and a very smart baseball man. If he is not promoted he will likely be a candidate for every General Manager job that comes open in the near future. The Braves would be wise to lock him up before someone steals him away.

Manager/Coaches

Fredi Gonzalez has been polarizing during his tenure in Atlanta. From the outside looking in it appears like he is good in the clubhouse and has the respect of his players. However, his in game management has been spotty to say the least. Whether it’s bizarre lineup configurations, poor bullpen usage (Craig’s arm won’t break if he comes in for 5 out saves), or his obsession with Jose Constanza (I’m starting a free Todd Cunningham campaign on Twitter) it is obvious his decision making is not helping the Braves win games.

As much as I like him as a person it is time for Fredi to go. The team needs a fresh voice in the locker room and a fresh mind in the dugout. My suggestions to replace him would start with Manny Acta, Torey Lovullo, and Dave Martinez among others.

I’d also be in favor of parting ways with Greg Walker as hitting coach. Whether or not his coaching has anything to do with the seemingly team-wide poor plate approach, it certainly is not helping. Chipper Jones would be an ideal candidate to replace him. That man knows hitting about as well as anyone who has played the game. However, I’m not so sure that is a realistic scenario. Chipper seems to be enjoying life outside of baseball with his family and he may not be ready to return to the game just yet.

I’d like the Braves to retain Terry Pendleton if he was open to it, and promote Brian Snitker back to third base coach. I’m not sure what kind of falling out led to that change in the first place but with Fredi gone maybe the door opens for him to return to his old post.

Roger McDowell should definitely be retained. He has had success with reclamation projects and Atlanta’s young pitchers. Julio Teheran and Alex Wood are having breakout seasons so there is no reason to get rid of the only major league pitching coach they have ever had.

Pitchers

The rotation has a solid foundation heading into 2015. Teheran, Wood, and Mike Minor will lead the way with perhaps Kris Medlen joining them if he can rebound from his second Tommy John Surgery (though that is no easy task). They could attempt to re-sign Ervin Santana, or make a run at the aces on the market like Jon Lester, James Shields, or Max Scherzer. Those names are most likely out of their price range.

Another option is to add David Hale to the rotation. He has performed well during his stints in the rotation and it might be time to give him another chance. Cody Martin could provide innings in the rotation if needed, and Jason Hursh might be ready for a taste of the big leagues by midseason.

Hitters

Here is where it gets tricky. The Braves have several young players who are absolutely staying put, an assortment of valuable veterans who could be moved for prospects, and some giant contracts that can only be moved by absorbing a similarly bad contract.

The popular sentiment among Braves fans has been to make sweeping changes. I’m not really in that camp. For the most part I like this team and think it has just been a bad year. I would keep Justin Upton, and Evan Gattis rather than move them for prospects. At least for the time being. Christian Bethancourt and Gattis would begin the season as the two catchers with Bethancourt getting hopefully two starts a week. Gattis and Upton are important bats in the lineup and unless the prospect haul is overwhelming I think they should stay put.

One player I would look to move is Chris Johnson. This season he has been well below average offensively and defensively. I’d rather give Phil Gosselin the everyday job than to see Johnson back at third base. This would be selling low but Gosselin is significantly cheaper than Johnson and is a definite upgrade defensively while he should provide at worst the same value offensively. I find it highly likely that some team will take a flyer on Johnson hoping he replicates his 2013 season, so the Braves should at least explore his market.

Unfortunately moving B.J. Upton will be a much more arduous task. My advice would be to take whatever bad contract a team asks you to take and just make the trade. Having that empty space in the lineup makes it seem as if the Braves are batting two pitchers and it’s time to end that problem.

To replace B.J. in center it would be nice to see top prospect Jose Peraza get some time this winter in the outfield to find out if he can make the transition. If that goes well then your opening day starting nine would see Peraza in center, Tommy La Stella at second, Andrelton Simmons at shortstop, Phil Gosselin at third base, Evan Gattis behind the plate, Freddie Freeman at first base, Jason Heyward in rightfied, Justin Upton in leftfield, and Julio Teheran on the mound. I’d take my chances with that lineup under a new manager and the clean slate of a new season.

The Atlanta Braves certainly have some work to do and some decisions to make. Soon after October the hot stove begins to heat up. Let the madness begin.