An Atlanta Braves roster and news update indicated that Frank Wren will no longer be the team's general manager, while John Hart will take over temporarily.
Braves president John Schuerholz announced Wren's firing on Monday after Atlanta failed to make it into the National League playoffs after having a strong start this season.
The Braves were in the race for the NL East top spot in late July, but their performance dipped dramatically. They have lost in 14 of their last 18 games, which ended their hopes of at least taking one of the NL wild card spots.
In an Atlanta Braves roster and news conference, Schuerholz said that they have been considering firing Wren when their playoff hopes started to fade, but opted to do it when they fell out of contention to avoid creating distraction within the team.
"It was time for the organization's well-being," Schuerholz said. "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."
Aside from Wren, the Braves, who currently hold a 76-79 record and are 15-games behind the Washington Nationals in the NL East race, also parted ways with executive vice president and assistant general manager Bruce Manno.
"I would say it was cumulative; I can't tell you exactly what period of time," Schuerholz said of their decision via an Atlanta Braves roster and news update. "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."
Joe Hart will take over until a new general manager is named. Hart along with Schuerholz and Hall of Fame manager will lead the search for the new GM.
Hart is the logical choice, but he said on Monday that he is not looking to take the job because he loves his work as an MLB network analyst.
"No, I will not seek the job," Hart said on Monday via 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."
