Atlanta Braves relieving Pendleton, Perez of duties… or not?

Braves’ staff change rumors are trickling out.  But right now the rumblings involve coaching staff and not the Front Office.

Changes are a’coming for the Atlanta Braves, but just how extensive or disruptive those changes will be is still unknown… although the ‘disruptive’ part is already assured, given how all of this mess got started.

As for the coaching staff, here is a summary of what the beat writers are expecting:

• Brian Snitker – returns (that’s already done)
• Bench coach Terry Pendleton – likely out
• 1st base coach Eddie Perez – likely out
• 3rd base coach Ron Washington – no word, but likely returns
• Pitching coach Chuck Hernandez – likely returns
• Hitting Coach Kevin Seitzer – no word (same for his assistant Jose Castro)
• Bullpen coach Marty Reed – no word (same for BP catchers Alan Butts and Jose Yepez)
• Special Assistant Bo Porter – no word

Seitzer has been in Atlanta for three years now, and by all accounts has been effective in that role – including getting some credit for Kurt Suzuki‘s break out bat.   Chuck Hernandez is barely unpacked in Atlanta – it would be poor form to show him the exit so quickly (never mind continuing to send mixed messages to all pitchers in the organization).

That said, if either man wanted to depart for a better/more stable offer, I expect the Braves would not stand in their way.

What Will We Lose?

So with all of this talk of changes, the biggest ones may end up being two members of the Old Guard:  Pendleton and Perez.

So is this likely to mean much difference on the field?  No.

In Terry Pendleton, you lose a valuable voice – and a vocal one at that.  His energy was still evident whenever there was a point to be argued during games.

Of note, while he still clearly held respect as a player and former infielder, whenever cameras caught ‘extra workout’ fielding sessions being held last season, it was Ron Washington conducting those classes and not Pendleton.  Perhaps that’s simply because of the different roles of a bench coach vs. a 3rd base coach, but it was still noticed.

With Eddie Perez, the art of calling a game from behind the plate is not to be ignored, and Perez caught one of the all-time best in Greg Maddux.  With veterans currently holding down that position in Tyler Flowers and Kurt Suzuki, it is likely that there isn’t a lot of coaching going on with them, but there are a couple of additional catchers coming through the system that could benefit from his tutelage.

It is for this reason that I would like to see the Braves turn Perez into a roving instructor for the catchers – though given that he still may have future aspirations as a manager, I can’t see that he would accept such a role.

So What Might Change?

There’s still a chance that nothing will change, but I’d call that less likely than the current expectations.  Still…

Whether Bowman is right or not, the fact that he’s hearing names bandied about suggests that changes are imminent.  However…

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That’s a fair question – but here’s one guess about how the trickle-down effect might play out:

• Ron Washington – stays as 3rd base coach
• Bo Porter – moves to 1st base coach
• Weiss – bench coach
• Rest of Staff – as is with only tweak in the minors, perhaps

For the record, that guess is pure speculation – which is unfortunately all we have to go on today.

However, such a group would give Brian Snitker one of the most experienced staffs in all of baseball, with three former managers circling him.

Next: Can We Get a Deision Here?

That would provide him with a lot of opinions, which isn’t necessarily a good thing… but on balance, having experienced opinions probably can’t hurt.