"After an epic September collapse kept the Braves from the postseason, manager Fredi Gonzalez said he rarely left his suburban Atlanta home for a month because he felt as if he had let everyone down.

Two months after the slide, which included 20 losses in 30 games, Gonzalez was back in his characteristically upbeat demeanor Wednesday for a question-and-answer session with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at baseball's winter meetings.

Gonzalez addressed a variety of topics ranging from trade rumors, the health of the starting rotation, and Jason Heyward's twice-weekly workout schedule starting next week with the team's new hitting coach."