Chipper Jones is pure class after Braves latest changes, which opens a door

Immediately after the Atlanta Braves were swept out of the postseason by the San Diego Padres, it was reported that despite the loss, the team was going to bring their entire coaching staff back. Just days later, Atlanta's plans changed, as they made several firings including letting go of longtime hitting coach Kevin Seitzer.

The Seitzer firing is one that came with mixed reactions from Braves fans. On one hand, their offense has disappeared in each of the last three postseasons, playing an integral role in the team getting bounced early. On the flip side, though, Seitzer can't be blamed for their offensive regression this season, right? How could anyone succeed with all of the injuries that Atlanta had to deal with?

Atlanta's offensive struggles frustrated the entire fan base all season long, but one former Braves player and coach in particular, Chipper Jones, seemed to be more irate than most. He voiced his frustration and gave reasons why he felt they had taken a step back on the Casa De Klub podcast.

"Having worked with Alex Anthopoulos, they want slug and they want guys who get on base at a high clip. They don't promote enough, I think, the getting on base part. In order to score runs, you've gotta get those guys on base."

Based on these remarks, it felt as if Jones was directly attacking the work of Seitzer and his staff, saying that they're prioritizing slug over getting on base. That, however, could not be further from the truth considering what Jones had to say on Twitter after the firings.

Chipper Jones taking the high road might open the path to potential return to organization

Jones went out of his way to compliment Seitzer and Bobby Magallanes, both of whom were fired by Atlanta, for the work that they did with the organization. Had Jones bashed Seitzer and Magallanes on their way out, it might've been tough for Alex Anthopoulos to bring Jones back to Atlanta given the fact that Seitzer in particular had been with the organization for nearly a decade.

Jones taking the high road was not only a good look for himself, but it might've opened the door to a possible return to Atlanta. He served as a hitting consultant for a couple of years soon after retiring but was not with the team in 2024. As good as it sounds, a fit feels awkward, at best.

Jones is as old school as it gets. Everyone values the home run ball tremendously nowadays (and for good reason) but Jones is a small-ball guy at heart.

“I’m old school man, and it’s not going away. Working with the Braves for the last couple of years has been very frustrating. Can’t stand giving away outs. I can’t stand strikeouts. Can’t deal with a guy on third, less than two outs, and hitting a ground ball to shortstop or second base. I can’t stand every once in a while not laying down a bunt for your best hitters. A hundred RBIs? So what. This is truly a ‘chicks dig the long ball’ kind of era."

The Braves might've fired Seitzer and Magallanes, but Jones, even while he went out of his way to praise them, clearly sees the game entirely differently. Will Anthopoulos completely revamp the organization's philosophy to cater to Jones? It's not impossible, but again, it certainly doesn't feel likely.

At the end of the day, while Atlanta's offense was frustratingly inconsistent this season, a drastic change of philosophy doesn't feel as if it's needed. What offense would've performed well with all of the injuries that they had to deal with? Perhaps a shakeup just to get a new voice was needed, but a new voice and an entirely different philosophy are two different things. Given his legend status, Chipper's voice should be heard, but he does not need to become the team's new hitting coach by any means.