The Braves have an off-day Thursday. That normally would not be the first sentence of a column. But they have an off-day coinciding with a major league-worst 7-20 start, manager Fredi Gonzalez being on the hot seat and expectations around the sport that his firing could be imminent.

As far as his job status, Gonzalez has been dead man walking, and an 8-0 humiliation Wednesday against the Mets certainly did him no favors – not with his bosses so furious about the team’s play.

It has been understood there is pretty much no way Gonzalez will be managing the Braves when a new stadium opens in Cobb County next year. So, really, this is about when, not if.

“I come in every day with the mindset that I am not letting any of that stuff bother me,” Gonzalez told The Post before the series finale at Citi Field.

Gonzalez said he had just gotten off the phone with general manager John Coppolella and said he told his boss: “There are only three outcomes: 1) Fire me. 2) Give me a vote of confidence through the rest of the season. 3) Pick up my 2017 option. … I am good with any of this.”

Well, options 2 and 3 are off the board. I spoke with Coppolella, and he mainly did not want to discuss the status of his manager. But clearly there will be no vote of confidence or picking up of Gonzalez’s option. There was internal sentiment to ax Gonzalez last year when the Braves began 42-42, and then finished 25-53. Gonzalez is well-liked inside and outside the organization, but there are questions about his strategy skills, especially in manipulating a bullpen, and one person close to the decision-makers said the perception is the Braves would like to change the subject sooner than later.

But to whom?

They could ask a coach to take the job on an interim basis. Third base coach and former Astros manager Bo Porter, first base coach Terry Pendleton and bullpen coach Eddie Perez are the most obvious candidates. In the longer term, former Padres manager Bud Black, who now works in the Angels front office, has ties to Braves president of baseball operations John Hart from their Indians days and would be a candidate, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported. But as of Tuesday, the Angels had not been asked for permission to speak with Black.

One outside-the-box candidate is former Braves utility man and current MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa, who was drafted by Atlanta and played his first seven seasons with the club. He is said to be well-regarded by many key Atlanta executives.

“It is hard for me [to talk about Gonzalez’s status] because I care about him greatly,” Coppolella said. “But we have to find ways to get better.”

The Braves had hoped after Year 1 of their rebuild in 2015 that their record would improve this season. But they opened 0-9 and had a subsequent eight-game losing streak. This all could be looked at as beyond a manager’s control because the Braves have had key injuries, notably to Ender Inciarte, and horrible underperformance by veterans, with shortstop Erick Aybar becoming all but unplayable. Their highest-priced free agent from the offseason was catcher A.J. Pierzynski for $3 million. One of the players they hoped would bring power, Hector Olivera, is on paid leave and in the commissioner’s protocol for domestic abuse. That has been a contributor to the team having six homers – 14 fewer than any other team.

Since the end of the 2014 season, Atlanta has traded Evan Gattis, Jason Heyward, Chris Johnson, Craig Kimbrel, Shelby Miller, Andrelton Simmons, Melvin Upton, Justin Upton and Alex Wood to save dollars and/or stock prospects.

“This is a tough process that a number of teams have gone through,” Coppolella said of the teardown. “We have to stick to this plan and know better days are ahead this year and the future.”

That is true, which is why this manager’s job is intriguing. The Braves have a top-five farm system now, and some of the better prospects — such as pitcher Lucas Sims, shortstops Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson (who came for Miller) and third baseman Rio Ruiz (who came for Gattis) — should be up some time this year to begin a regular flow of talent. Add in the resources from a new stadium and the Braves could augment the young core with veteran talent.

But, for now, the Braves are the punching bag of the NL East and a laughingstock around the sport. They have an off-day Thursday and a scapegoat might be needed.

“There is no question that could happen,” Gonzalez said. “It happens to head coaches in every sport. I have been involved in the process [of talent acquisition]. I see the potential ahead.”