Which MLB managers are next on the chopping block?

Fredi Gonzalez, Braves

To be honest, a lot of people are surprised that Gonzalez is in the Braves’ dugout at all. He seemed a natural to be fired after last year’s disappointing 79-83 finish, especially with GM Frank Wren being let go.

But Gonzalez is still there, albeit with a far inferior roster to work with. Gone are the Upton brothers, Jason Heyward, Mike Minor, Kris Medlen, Craig Kimbrel, and most of the core of Gonzalez’s successful Braves teams of the past few years. Now he’s working with a team full of intriguing young pitchers, the game’s best defensive shortstop, and a whole lot of question marks.

Gonzalez wasn’t exactly on solid ground before last season either. Ken Rosenthal reported that Wren wanted to fire Gonzalez after last year before Wren was himself fired. Many of Gonzalez’s tactical decisions came into question, as did his overuse of the team’s top relievers earlier in his tenure (Jonny Venters and Eric O’Flaherty haven’t been the same since).

Plus, with Gonzalez already in the last year of his contract, the club wouldn’t face many financial obstacles to letting him go (unlike the Marlins, who are still paying Ozzie Guillen as well as Redmond). The Braves are off to a decent 18-19 start, but if things go south, don’t expect Gonzalez to be around for long.

Next: Bryan Price, Reds