Since the resignation of Braves general manager John Coppolella, there has been rampant speculation as to who could replace him. A large part of the speculation has hinged on whether or not John Hart will continue on with the Braves in addition to the results of MLB’s investigation into the Braves’ draft and international signings.
Today’s report from Bob Nightengale continues to confirm some of the names that the Braves have long been linked to in addition to a couple of newer names.
The #Braves search for GM has begun with Dayton Moore,
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 9, 2017
Dan Jennings and Doug Harris leading list, and Billy Ryan as internal candidate
The Braves have long been linked to Dayton Moore of the Royals, but his willingness to come over to the Braves seems to be contingent on him have complete autonomy over baseball operations. That would mean that either John Hart would have to take a lesser role with the team or that Hart would have leave the organization altogether in order to land him. It is also worth noting that Moore is very loyal to the Royals’ owners, so it would be no small feat to be able to get him.
The Braves also have interest in Nationals assistant general manager Doug Harris who is highly regarded around baseball and had a very public battle with leukemia. The Nationals’ Dan Jennings, who was previously the General Manager and interim manager of the Marlins, is also named again as a top target for the Braves.
As for internal candidates, Billy Ryan appears to be gaining some steam as a possible option to replace Coppolella. Before joining the Braves in late 2014, Ryan was with the Arizona Diamondbacks where he served as assistant general manager for four seasons.
Given how highly coveted the Braves’ GM position is likely to be (although the pending MLB investigation could scare off some suitors), we will likely hear more names connected in the coming days and weeks so stay tuned as we continue our coverages of the Braves’ search for a new general manager.