The Atlanta Braves fired general manager Wren on Monday after a disappointing performance in the latter part of the 2014 MLB season.
Braves president John Schuerholz announced the firing in news conference, saying that CEO Terry McGuirk was frustrated after the team failed to make the National League playoffs after an impressive start this season.
The Braves looked poise to finish on top of the NL East standings or at least grab a wild card spot easily, but the club had a meltdown, losing in 14 of their last 18 games to fall 15-games behind the NL East-leading Washington Nationals.
"It was time for the organization's well-being," Schuerholz said via the team's official website. "It was time, having been eliminated from any postseason possibility, rather than continue to wait, that it would give us an opportunity to form our committee and start this transition a week sooner than perhaps, and we thought it was the right day."
While Wren made significant moves recently such as acquiring Justin Upton and Chris Johnson, the organization is reportedly unhappy with most of his decisions such as the mid-level TV deals, which reportedly affected the Braves' chances of landing big-name free agents during the offseason.
Aside from Wren, Braves executive president and assistant general manager Bruce Manno was also given the pink slip on Monday.
"I would say it was cumulative; I can't tell you exactly what period of time," Schuerholz said. "But as we began to examine things in our farm system and our scouting department and on our Major League club, it was a cumulative thing. I can't give you the exact date."
The Braves also announced that John Hart will take over as interim GM. The 66-year-old, who served as Cleveland Indians GM for 13 years and Texas Rangers GM for four years, clarified, though, that he is not interested in taking the job next season because he is busy with other responsibilities, particularly his job as an MLB Network analyst.
"No, I will not seek the job," Hart stressed in an interview with USA Today. "It's been discussed, but at this stage we are going to talk to a lot of people. It has not been ruled out, but it's not something I'm knocking down the door to do."
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