The Atlanta Braves fired former manager Fredi Gonzalez in May of 2016, after the team's dismal start to the season. Brian Snitker was named as the replacement, all building up to the team's 2021 World Series run. Now, the team is revisiting the past, nearing a decade later, bringing in Gonzalez as the team's new third-base coach. It is an odd hiring that does make sense when you consider the history with the organization and Snitker's time working with the veteran coach. Still, it was an unexpected throwback to the team's past.
With Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson departing over the last three years, there isn't one current Brave who was managed by the new third base coach. Looking at the last lineups Gonzalez managed, it becomes glaring why the manager was eventually fired. It is hard to win with the absolute dumpster fire of a roster the veteran was managing. If you doubt this, simply look at the lineup in one of the final games of Gonzalez's Atlanta career.
Braves' Former Manager Lost His Job Due to Team’s Overwhelming Lack of Talent
Yes, Gonzalez was far from perfect during his time in Atlanta, however, no manager is winning consistently with this lack of talent. It is hard to know where to start when attempting to break down the 2016 lineups the team consistently rolled out. Having pitcher Aaron Blair batting ahead of Mallex Smith drives home just how hopeless of a group this was. Gonzalez had an aging Kelly Johnson hitting cleanup, having zero idea which pieces he could rely on.
Only Freddie Freeman is a notable hitter within this 2016 lineup. Consider Adonis Garcia, Erick Aybar, Mallex Smith, and Reid Brignac were all pieces the team would quickly pivot away from. While Nick Markakis had some productive seasons in an Atlanta uniform, the outfielder was an aging veteran as well. Only Freeman was consistently relied on to produce at the plate, as Gonzalez's search for answers would lead to his dismissal.
In the middle of an infuriating 2025 season, this lineup serves as a reminder of how far the franchise has come in the last decade. After seasons of rebuilding, the team has a wealth of building blocks to base its future around, no matter whether or not the 2025 season turns around as hoped.
With this in mind, it is a bit easier to understand the return of a manager who was set up for failure from the start of the 2016 season. This team was Julio Teheran, Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis, and a bunch of spare parts with a healthy dash of aging veterans thrown in. Atlanta never had a chance of putting together a winning season, and this lineup serves as an illustration of that fact.
Fredi Gonzalez returning to the organization years later feels like a fitting ending to the veteran's coaching career, and perhaps will give him a chance to be part of a turnaround instead of his firing signaling the start of one.