The Atlanta Braves didn’t have the season they hoped for, to say the least—but sometimes that’s just how baseball goes. Now that the offseason is here, manager Brian Snitker has officially announced that he will not be returning in the same role next season. This move had long been considered the most likely outcome.
“Because of that consistent recent success, Snit would normally be afforded a ‘mulligan’ year—even though going from the second-best preseason World Series odds to possibly the third-best odds of winning the draft lottery is a pretty serious mulligan,” Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller wrote. “At 69, though, he's already the oldest manager in the National League by a several-year margin and was likely to retire at the end of this season, which is the last one in his current contract.”
The Braves aren’t sending Snitker off empty-handed. In honor of his decade as manager, the organization is showing its appreciation in a big way.
“Terry McGuirk says that the club is giving Brian Snitker a new Ford truck, an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii, and induction in the Braves Hall of Fame in 2026,” 680 The Fan reported.
As for a potential replacement, one unexpected name is emerging: Tony Vitello, head coach of the University of Tennessee baseball team.
“If the Braves think outside the box, they might consider University of Tennessee coach Tony Vitello,” The Athletic’s David O’Brien wrote.
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While that might come as a surprise to some fans, it’s not the only managerial opening where Vitello’s name has surfaced.
“The MLB is in the post-season, which is just another term for off-season for some teams. There are multiple teams who are currently looking to fill their manager spots, including two teams that have been linked to possibly consider Tony Vitello. One of the teams being the San Francisco Giants, which was confirmed two days ago,” SI’s Caleb Sisk wrote.
Vitello leaving Tennessee would certainly be a shock, especially given the success he’s had in Knoxville. With even bigger things brewing on Rocky Top, it doesn’t seem likely he’d walk away so easily.
However, the opportunity to manage a Major League Baseball team might be too tempting to pass up. If he were hired, it would mark a significant shift in leadership style, as Vitello is considered more of a modern-day manager compared to the old-school Snitker.