The Atlanta Braves are getting used to falling short of expectations.
That doesn’t mean they’re getting complacent.
After another first-round playoff exit, the Braves are replacing three of their major league coaches, according to David O’Brien of The Athletic.
The Braves fired hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes, and catching coach Sal Fasano, O’Brien reported via Twitter/X. The team has yet to announce the moves but O’Brien reports that all three coaches — who were each under contract with the Braves through 2025 — have been informed.
The #Braves fired hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes and catching coach Sal Fasano, a source confirmed to The Athletic. The team hasn’t announced the moves but the coaches have been informed. Each was under contract with the Braves through 2025.
— David O’Brien (@DOBrienATL) October 10, 2024
The Atlanta Braves were eliminated by the San Diego Padres in a two-game National League Wild Card sweep. They only qualified for the postseason on the final day of the regular season by splitting a doubleheader with the New York Mets.
Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images
The Mets went on to upset the Milwaukee Brewers in a three-game Wild Card thriller, before stunning the favored Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Division Series.
More news: Mets Veteran Says He Gave Agent Scott Boras an Ultimatum
The Braves went 89-73 in a regular season most notable for a barrage of injuries that cost reigning National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. most of the season. Star pitcher Spencer Strider also suffered a season-ending elbow injury early in the campaign.
Sal Fasano provided a lot in his tenure with the #Braves, but I will most remember the incredible lineup cards he created until MLB decided they’d be better in a uniform printed form.
They were wrong. These were epic. pic.twitter.com/HzkfZQfWxg
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) October 10, 2024
The postseason defeat marked the third time Atlanta was eliminated in their first playoff series since winning the 2021 World Series. A perennial contender, Atlanta had its run of six consecutive NL East titles interrupted in September by the Phillies.
According to O’Brien, the Braves will replace the two hitting coaches but will not fill the catching-coach position, which was designed specifically for Fasano.
The Braves will replace the two hitting coaches but will not fill the catching-coach position, which was designed specifically for Fasano. And from those I’ve spoken to, Chipper Jones is not a candidate for one of the hitting-coach jobs, as he has a lot going on outside baseball.
— David O’Brien (@DOBrienATL) October 10, 2024
Seitzer was MLB‘s longest-tenured hitting coach. Popular Hall of Famer Chipper Jones, who played his entire career in Atlanta, is not a candidate to replace him, O’Brien notes.
Coaching changes are not always announced during the postseason, but according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, the Braves front office wanted to give the three fired coaches a chance to land elsewhere.
Hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes and catching coach Sal Fasano have been informed they will not be retained for the 2025 season. Each is under contract one more year. Braves wanted to give them a chance to land elsewhere.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) October 10, 2024
Manager Brian Snitker — who will return — recently said he expected his entire coaching staff to return in 2025. But O’Brien reports that Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos had yet to begin their postseason evaluations.
Though #Braves‘ Anthopoulos & Snitker said after being eliminated from the wild-card round they intended to bring back the coaching staff, a source said they had not begun the evaluation process at that point. They made the moves now to give the coaches time to pursue other jobs.
— David O’Brien (@DOBrienATL) October 10, 2024
The first two weeks of the offseason have been a busy time for coaching changes for eliminated teams. The Cincinnati Reds fired David Bell and replaced him with Terry Francona, then fired three of their hitting coaches. The Miami Marlins fired their entire coaching staff after losing manager Skip Schumaker.
For the recently fired Braves coaches, at least there will be some job openings to pursue.
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