The general manager has been released after seven seasons at the helm.
Frank Wren has been relieved of his duties as the Atlanta Braves' general manager, the team announced today. After a disappointing campaign in which the Braves cratered and failed to reach the playoffs, changes were imminent in Atlanta. Wren is the first one to take a fall, one day after a demoralizing, playoff-dashing sweep at the hand of division rival New York Mets.
Wren, 56, has been the Braves' GM since 2007. He has led the team to a division title in 2013, as well as two Wild Card berths in 2010 and 2012. Throughout his tenure, Wren has managed to build and maintain a strong farm system in Atlanta. The current Braves' core of Jason Heyward, Andrelton Simmons, Freddie Freeman, Julio Teheran and Craig Kimbrel have all been drafted and/or developed under Wren's reign. His free agent signings, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. Long-term contracts to Derek Lowe, Dan Uggla, and B.J. Upton have severely hamstrung the Braves' payroll flexibility.
The Braves will look to find a new GM in the offseason. In the meantime, John Hart has been named the interim GM. Hart previously served as the team's senior adviser of baseball operations.