Who is the face of the Atlanta Braves franchise?

[mossy]

With Chipper retired and moving away, with McCann leaving for New York, and Frenchie signing minor league deals, who is the face of our beloved Atlanta Braves?

Who is now the unofficial clubhouse leader?

Kris Medlen is the longest tenured player correct? He's a fan favorite, but is he either of the above mentioned?

Jason Heyward seems the obvious choice so far. But there are troubling questions. Such as, why isn't he signed long term yet? How durable is he?

Freeman. Who is this guy? Probably one of the most underrated players in baseball. But is he a franchise face type of guy? Will he get signed long term, and will it happen if Heyward gets signed?

Justin Upton? He could become that guy, but he needs to be more consistent and stay a few years.

This is a very young team with many questions, so I thought I'd start a discussion and see what everyone thinks.

 

[Gary82]

I think it will be Freeman, which means I don't see Heyward staying with the Braves. Heyward is the all around ballplayer who I think handles the media pretty well, but I don't see him staying in Atlanta once he hits FA.

 

[Millwood1Hitter]

Face of the franchise? Fredi Gonzalez, no doubt.

Us fans always have the same look on our face every October confused as to why we lack postseason success and have no luck on our side. Only difference is Fredi has that look on his face year around, so no doubt it is Fredi Gonzalez.

 

[bravebonebook]

Benjamin Franklin. All we seem to hear or talk about (besides the first round playoffs debacles) is how the Braves cannot resign this or that veteran, keep our young talent because they'll be too expensive, can't sign this or that free agent due to limited funds, this or that player will leave at free agency seeking a bigger payday than ATL can give, cannot fill this hole or that hole due to poor contracts and limited funds, etc. It's fun cheering for a mid-market team.