The Braves will name Fredi Gonzalez their new manager on Thursday:
Fredi Gonzalez has been hired as the Braves’ new manager and will be introduced at a news conference Thursday, two people familiar with the negotiations confirmed.
I mostly like Gonzalez. He’s comfortable with numbers and seemed to have Florida in the wild card race every year. I didn’t think he handled Hanley Ramirez well on a non-hustle play this season, and that may have led to his dismissal, although everyone denies it. It will be interesting to see what he does with a team that’s willing to spend some money to give him a complete team.
I like this managerial hire. And, yes, the Braves will spend more relative to the Marlins. But, do not expect Liberty Media (LM) to open their checkbooks. They are not willing to spend any more than they have to. I suspect this year’s over achieving club will just reinforce LM’s stingy philosophy.