Rumors continue to swirl in regards to the job status of Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. The Braves lost 8-0 on Wednesday to wrap up a long road trip. An off day on Thursday would provide an avenue for a shakeup if officials in the front office opted to make a change.
Freddie Freeman offered his support for Gonzalez on Wednesday following Atlanta's 8-0 loss to the Mets saying that the blame should fall on the players.
"I think everything is getting magnified since we're off to this start," Freeman said. "I don't know if it's fair to put it all on [Gonzalez] because he's not a player. We're the 25 guys [who have to] go out there and play every day. We're obviously not playing to our capabilities. To say that's Fredi's fault is unfair in my opinion."
Freeman spelled it out further for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's David O'Brien.
"The guys he puts in the lineup, the guys he puts in games, we have to do our jobs, and we just haven’t done that for the first 27 games," Freeman said. "That’s not No. 33’s (Gonzalez) fault, that’s our fault."
Freeman went on to say that he was surprised by the rumors. If Gonzalez survives Thursday's off day it still seems like a matter of when rather than if he will be replaced. Joel Sherman reported earlier on Wednesday that the Braves front office was becoming more frustrated by the day. USA Today's Bob Nightengale mentioned Bud Black as a potential long term replacement for Gonzalez.