Atlanta Braves Manager: Bud Black
The big rumor already swirling is that the Braves have been talking with Bud Black about the position already. Black is currently working as a special assistant to the GM with the Los Angeles Angels, so he’s not on the field with any team.
Black was a pitching coach from 2000-2006 with the Angels, so he’s got good experience coaching and handling a pitching staff, and with the way the Braves are building their future around elite arms, a manager with a good understanding of pitching could be a big focus.
Black’s big concern could be his financial demands. He reportedly was hired to take over the Washington Nationals job (that eventually went to Dusty Baker), but he declined the position due to the compensation offered being far too low. Black is a guy who has a .477 career winning percentage and actually has less wins in his managerial career in 9 seasons than the recently fired Gonzalez has in his similar amount of games (Black has 1,362 games managed with 649 wins. Fredi has 1,402 games maanged with 710 wins, so a 61 win difference with only 40 games managed difference).
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