Braves Manager Search: Dodgers’ Danny Lehmann Confirmed as “Frontrunner” as Post-World Series Hire Looms.vc
MLB insider Jon Morosi confirmed the Braves’ interest in the World Series-winning coach, and the clock is ticking with free agency just days away.
ATLANTA — The World Series is “thankfully over,” and for the Atlanta Braves, the real business of the offseason can finally begin.
While most fans are focused on player additions and the future of free agents like Ha-Seong Kim, the organization’s most pressing need is hiring a new manager. The prevailing wisdom has held that the favorite for the job just finished his World Series duties, and now that the Los Angeles Dodgers are champions, all eyes are on their bench coach.
Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann has emerged as the clear “frontrunner,” according to current scuttlebutt. Lehmann is young, “extremely qualified,” and comes from a perennial winning organization. He is seen as a candidate with a “great grasp on traditional coaching as well as advanced analytics.”
With other teams who were potential suitors for Lehmann already filling their vacancies, he has become the “logical candidate” for Atlanta.
While Braves beat writer Mark Bowman has mentioned Lehmann multiple times, the final confirmation came just as the World Series concluded. MLB insider Jon Morosi reported Sunday that the Braves “have, indeed, been considering Lehmann to be their next skipper.” This report, though seemingly “small” or “obvious,” is the first official confirmation from a national insider, solidifying the speculation.
Now that the World Series is over, Lehmann is presumably free to interview. In an ideal world, the Braves could make a hire “in the coming days.”
That timeline is crucial, as MLB free agency is set to begin in just a few days.
The Braves have to prioritize the manager search. The team will want to be able to “sell a stable and quality coaching staff to prospective players,” which cannot happen until a manager is in place.
However, the decision is “far from a sure thing.” While Lehmann is the leading candidate, other names have been floated, including Dodgers first base coach Chris Woodward. It is also unknown if the Braves have been “extra methodical” and are waiting to conduct formal interviews with other candidates.
Ultimately, whether it is Lehmann or another choice, it is in Atlanta’s best interest to get this thing done soon—and get it done right—before the offseason player market begins in earnest.
