ATLANTA — Fredi Gonzalez isn’t exactly a fan favorite in some circles.
The Atlanta Braves manager has faced extended criticism, especially from statistically-driven pundits, throughout his tenure with the club, and after the 2014 season in which the Braves lost 22 of their last 33 games to miss the playoffs, the pressure is mounting. Beyond that, the organization overhauled things in the front office, and as a result, at least one outlet believes that Gonzalez is on the “hot seat” as 2015 begins.
Jay Jaffe of Sports Illustrated had this to say in breaking down Gonzalez as one of five managers under pressure:
Just before the end of the season, the team fired GM Frank Wren, and only the influence of predecessor/mentor Bobby Cox spared Gonzalez. To the surprise of the industry, the Braves plunged into a rebuilding program by trading Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Evan Gattis and David Carpenter, and at the moment, both FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus project their reduced roster for around 90 losses. Gonzalez, who has a 358–290 (.552) record with the Braves, is a lame duck, and while he still may have Cox’s backing, the looming possibility of a new regime to take over from John Hart’s temporary stewardship suggests his time may not be long.
Beyond the above paragraph, Jaffe makes reference to the 2013 playoffs, saying that the Braves fell short “in part due to Gonzalez’s mismanagement of his bullpen”, which is sure to please detractors of the manager.
Perhaps the most interesting factor in evaluating Fredi Gonzalez’s future is the tidbit concerning Bobby Cox and “sparing” Gonzalez this off-season. Gonzalez is operating as a lame duck in that his current contract covers only the 2015 season, and that is generally seen as something of a slap in the face to a manager.
Even if not intended as such, the failure to provide a contract extension for Fredi is indicative of management’s shakiness on the direction of that particular position on the club. With that, it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if the Braves had a new manager should things go as poorly as some expect in 2015.
On one hand, Fredi Gonzalez has been given an impossible task for the 2015 season with a roster that is undeniably flawed. However, the 51-year-old manager has “earned” the doubt that has transpired based on his shortcomings in bullpen management and lineup construction, and at a certain point, being a “player’s manager” can only overcome tactical issues for so long.
Talking Chop Blog
