Rosenthal: Fredi will be fired, possibly by end of the road trip

[dak]

If you're looking to get depressed, take this article for a spin. Tough but fair piece. Questions FO decisions as well.

The Braves are 4-17. The season is lost. Manager Fredi Gonzalez will be fired. So much for the final season at Turner Field, which was never all that promising to begin with.

The real question is what the Braves will look like in their first year at the new SunTrust Park next season, and in all the years to follow.

The Braves will gain significant financial flexibility this offseason, thanks to at least $50 million in expiring contracts. Some of their top prospects will be ready for the majors, or close to it, in 2017. Bud Black, or someone like him, could be the new manager.

Here's the problem:

If the Braves failed to properly evaluate this year's roster -- an understatement, the way things are turning out -- who's to say their other evaluations can be trusted?

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/a...polella-042816

[nsacpi]

The question is whether they failed to evaluate this year's roster or let the spin trap them in a corner.

[dak]

With Tosca and Porter being Fredi's guys, I'd guess they'll be the only two assistants to go when it's time for the axe to fall. TP as interim manager and Eddie as bench coach maybe?

[JohnAdcox]

With Tosca and Porter being Fredi's guys, I'd guess they'll be the only two assistants to go when it's time for the axe to fall. TP as interim manager and Eddie as bench coach maybe?

Kinda hope it's the other way around.

[mqt]

I think the bullpen's absolute terribleness was a surprise to the FO, but I find it hard to believe that they actually believed the **** they were selling.

[dak]

The question is whether they failed to evaluate this year's roster or let the spin trap them in a corner.

Far as I can tell, they were trying to take a step forward to 2017. The second half last year was so bad, I wonder if they thought it would be a softball to field a better team this year by just accumulating 74 RH middle relievers. They decided to pass on investing a little more money for LHRP, 3B, and reserve OF. I'm assuming they regret those decisions now, but who knows.

[Enscheff]

Not signing a guy like Freese this offseason was inexcusable. He is a league average player that was sitting there at a bargain rate. He ended up signing for a paltry $3m and is putting up his typical .750+ OPS while playing his typical average defense at 3B.

He is the EXACT kind of late offseason bargain the Braves should have been looking for.

Meanwhile the Braves wasted MLB contracts on guys like Stubbs.

[bravesfanMatt]

Not signing a guy like Freese this offseason was inexcusable. He is a league average player that was sitting there at a bargain rate. He ended up signing for a paltry $3m and is putting up his typical .750+ OPS while playing his typical average defense at 3B.

He is the EXACT kind of late offseason bargain the Braves should have been looking for.

Meanwhile the Braves wasted MLB contracts on guys like Stubbs.

I wouldn't have blamed that on Fredi though.. :)

[clvclv]

Not signing a guy like Freese this offseason was inexcusable. He is a league average player that was sitting there at a bargain rate. He ended up signing for a paltry $3m and is putting up his typical .750+ OPS while playing his typical average defense at 3B.

He is the EXACT kind of late offseason bargain the Braves should have been looking for.

Meanwhile the Braves wasted MLB contracts on guys like Stubbs.

Yet many people felt Norris was a better gamble than someone like Latos who had "Ace" upside. If there's a better example of someone who was a crapshoot and low-risk/high-reward guy than he was (at this point), who is he?

Those late signs typically make just as many front office people look like idiots as they make look like geniuses.

[Millwood1Hitter]

Again I don't put this garbage from this year or last on Fredi, but the garbage from the year before and the September collapses and mismanagement and lack of success in October, along with a lack of passion is on Fredi and the guy needs to GO. He's terrible.

And our play by play announcer has to be next in line to go.

[cajunrevenge]

I think they were saving Fredi for when they needed a scapegoat.

[The Chosen One]

I think they were saving Fredi for when they needed a scapegoat.

I think that's pretty clear.

They gave him a roster of "household names" but names whom were all well past their prime.

They probably know Fredi is a **** manager so they said he can help us achieve the goal of #1 pick.

[Enscheff]

Yet many people felt Norris was a better gamble than someone like Latos who had "Ace" upside. If there's a better example of someone who was a crapshoot and low-risk/high-reward guy than he was (at this point), who is he?

Those late signs typically make just as many front office people look like idiots as they make look like geniuses.

Agreed. Freese and Latos were the main 2 guys I wanted the Braves to buy low on.

[Horsehide Harry]

Agreed. Freese and Latos were the main 2 guys I wanted the Braves to buy low on.

I really didn't have an issue with the Norris signing. But I wanted Latos badly because of his upside. I only really cared because I was looking for those who might provide a good return at the trade deadline. Freese would have been OK as well at $3M BUT I thought the KJ signing and the Beckham signing probably killed any chance of that.

To me, this goes back to having a realistic vision and plan and sticking to it. If you are going to rebuild, then do it and don't deviate because you get a little negative fan feedback.

I wanted to trade Freeman, Teheran, Aybar, Inciarte and Markakis for (hopefully) a pile (quantity and quality) prospects while clearing payroll. Most everyone either didn't want to trade them at all OR felt that they would be just as valuable or more valuable at the deadline or after the season. Plus they didn't want to see a lost season. To me at least, it was clear from the beginning that it was a lost season so why not maximize your return while you can, if you can. Now, every player on the list above is either worth much less than they were worth 4 months ago or are now just completely untradeable.

My thoughts were you trade Teheran but bring in Latos, Norris (someone like him), Chacin (someone like him), etc., suck for the first half, then hope to trade those guys to add to your pile of prospects at the dealing while bringing up the oldest and best developed minor league guys to audition for the last half of the year.

[yeezus]

Wonder what Freese would do hitting in OUR lineup...

[Dalyn]

Better late than never, I guess. If this had happened after 2011, there is a very real possibility we wouldn't be in this mess right now. At least not as deep.

[chipchildress]

Throw Blair, Newbomb, and Sims in the rotation next year. Albies and Swanson should be in the field as well and this club will have plenty going for it next year and going forward. Let's hope they can sign some power and ideally bring in a legit bat in this next draft as well. From there things will be gravy, especially if the international market works out like they hope.

[chipchildress]

I'm also pretty sure the Braves wanted to be awful this year. So any talk of evaluating one crappy player over another probably misses the point. The number one pick is and should be in their sights. If you're going to be this down, you need to take advantage of it and I think they understand this. If Bud Norris means bringing in the best player in next year's draft, then I'd say these guys have done a fantastic job of evaluating this roster.

[Millwood1Hitter]

Has he been fired yet?

Cause I haven't heard anything, hopefully the FO is telling him to get lost. But knowing Fredi, he doesn't understand, because he's already lost. They said your fired, and he said "I know I'm gonna go fire up my Harley and go home from the day, read up on my baseball prospectus, and be right here again tomorrow, what you think? Should I start showing up earlier? You know, I think I know what your getting at...yes, I am indeed fired up about this team, we got a chance to win a game or two here and there."

[bravesfanforlife88]

Has he been fired yet?

Cause I haven't heard anything, hopefully the FO is telling him to get lost. But knowing Fredi, he doesn't understand, because he's already lost. They said your fired, and he said "I know I'm gonna go fire up my Harley and go home from the day, read up on my baseball prospectus, and be right here again tomorrow, what you think? Should I start showing up earlier? You know, I think I know what your getting at...yes, I am indeed fired up about this team, we got a chance to win a game or two here and there."

no Fredi....it's neither here nor there