Report: Dayton Moore could emerge as GM candidate for Atlanta Braves

Changes are brewing for the Atlanta Braves in the aftermath of their well-publicized collapse, but if the latest from MLB.com’s Mark Bowman is accurate, the team could be looking in a familiar direction should they choose to part ways with general manager Frank Wren. On Sunday afternoon, Bowman brought current Kansas City Royals GM Dayton Moore to the table as a potential replacement in the front office.

Here is what Bowman had to say about Moore as a potential candidate:

"The Braves would look at all their options to fill the general manager’s position. But the most intriguing candidate appears to be Royals general manager Dayton Moore, who learned his craft while working for Braves president John Schuerholz from 1996-2006. Schuerholz was the club’s GM throughout that span.Moore has two years remaining on his contract and he has further endeared himself to Kansas City’s ownership by taking the Royals to the brink of a postseason berth this year. But there would certainly be many members of the Braves organization pulling for the chance to work for Moore, whose people skills have been likened to those possessed by Schuerholz."

It is slightly terrifying to consider that the Braves would choose to go in the direction of Moore, who was almost certainly on the hot seat in Kansas City prior to their resurgence this season, and he would appear to be a downgrade from Wren across the board. There is no question that Wren’s chief issue has been in his evaluation of big-time free agents, but Moore has a similarly poor track record (see Meche, Gil), and in other areas, Wren would appear to be the better option.

Even with the Moore “news”, the most troubling of revelations in Bowman’s piece may be a report that manager Fredi Gonzalez could survive, even if Wren is let go.

"Gonzalez has taken responsibility for the struggles the Braves have encountered during this disappointing season. But there seems to be a good chance he will be allowed a chance to remain in his role for one more season with an altered coaching staff. The club’s offensive struggles have jeopardized the futures of hitting coach Greg Walker and assistant hitting coach Scott Fletcher."

I have been public in my sentiments against Gonzalez, both on Twitter and in this space, and the worst case scenario for the organization would be to jettison Wren while keeping Gonzalez on board. Stay tuned for the latest on the situation as it unfolds, but nothing in this latest report should be considered positive.