The Braves have just announced that they agreed to a contract extension through 2014 with general manager Frank Wren.
Not surprising. And, even though I snark at him sometimes, not a bad move. Wren doesn’t always hit, but he’s hit more than he’s missed lately, and the player development machine -- pitchers mostly, but some good position players like Jason Heyward, Freddie Freemen and Andrelton Simmons -- he has kept operation in good order. His non-move on the Ryan Dempster deal was a good one. He hasn’t done harm, and that’s probably the most important thing.
And really, given that the fundamental dynamic of running the Atlanta Braves involves dealing with the iron-clad budget given to the team by their corporate overlords at Liberty Media, keeping a guy who is used to that is probably a good move.
Wren’s biggest immediate challenge: filling holes at third base -- and the middle of the lineup, really -- with the retirement of Chipper Jones and center field with the presumed departure of free agent Michael Bourn. He now has a couple years more breathing room in which to do it.
