Atlanta Braves GM Fired: What Really Went Wrong for Frank Wren

The Atlanta Braves fired general manager Frank Wren on Monday after seven seasons with the club. MLB.com writer Mark Bowman confirmed the news:

Wren replaced longtime GM John Schuerholz in 2007. During his seven seasons at the helm, Wren's Braves made the playoffs in three times, including winning the NL East Division Championship in 2013.

The Braves started 2014 much like the club's division-winning season in 2013, residing in first place at the All-Star break.

The Washington Nationals have since surpassed the Braves and now lead the division by a whopping 15.5 games. The New York Mets have even caught the Braves in the standings. Since July 29, the Braves have gone 18-31.

The Braves are once again at the top of the National League ranks in many pitching categories, including ERA, quality starts and strikeouts. This success on the mound is due in large part to Wren making shrewd signings after preseason injuries to Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy. Veterans Aaron Harang and Ervin Santana have done a fantastic job filling in on reasonable contracts for the Braves this season.

Kevin McAlpin of the Atlanta Braves Radio Network referenced the work of the Braves staff in 2014:

But Wren and the Braves were unable to overcome an inconsistent offense.

The Braves find themselves in the bottom five of the MLB in batting average, strikeouts and runs. After leading the NL in home runs in 2013, Atlanta ranks 24th in the MLB in 2014. During the club's horrible 4-15 September, the offense has hit .201, scoring only 41 runs in those games.

The biggest gripe of Wren's roster construction has been the offense's reliance on the long ball. These roster choices were headlined by two big-money signings—B.J. Upton and Dan Uggla.

Uggla was released this season after hitting just .162 with two home runs and 10 RBI in 48 games. He is still owed $13 million in each of the next two seasons. Meanwhile, Upton has produced another subpar season in Atlanta, hitting .207 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI thus far in 2014. Upton has three more years remaining on his $75.25 million contract. 

The Braves ranked 14th in payroll at the start of the 2014 season, according to numbers compiled by The Associated Press (via Deadspin). A team with a modest payroll cannot afford to get two large contracts so wrong. Uggla and Upton receiving over $100 million combined with little production was the leading factor in Wren's dismissal. 

Schuerholz, who now serves as team president, former manager Bobby Cox and longtime MLB executive John Hart will form a transitional team in charge of hiring the next GM. 

The Braves may not have to look too far to find Wren's replacement. Braves assistant GM and director of scouting John Coppolella is considered the favorite to win the job. David Lee of The Augusta Chronicle had this to say about Coppolella's reputation throughout the MLB:

If the Braves decide to go in a different direction, Hart's name has come up during speculation. But the longtime executive seems keen to maintain his current role with the Braves. Kansas City Royals GM Dayton Moore has also been linked to the opening due to past ties with Schuerholz and the Braves. Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star sees Moore as an unlikely candidate, however:

Regardless of who replaces Wren, the next GM will have decisions to make regarding the roster and coaching staff.

The first will be the status of Fredi Gonzalez as manager of the club.

Gonzalez has drawn criticism from the Atlanta faithful, but he has produced winning teams for the Braves up until this season. Gonzalez tinkered with many different lineups but could not come up with the winning combination. He should be allowed another chance in 2015 with a more complete roster. 

The other decisions involve the roster itself.

The young players that make up the core of this team—Freddie Freeman, Andrelton Simmons, Jason Heyward, Julio Teheran and Craig Kimbrel—are not going anywhere. But the next GM needs to introduce different elements to the Braves lineup and shore up weaknesses, the most glaring of which is the lack of a true leadoff hitter. Questions regarding the futures of Upton, Chris Johnson and Evan Gattis will need to be addressed as well.

There needed to be a scapegoat for the Braves' struggles in 2014. Despite some success throughout his tenure, Frank Wren's inability to create a consistent offensive threat in 2014 was his undoing. 

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