The Atlanta Braves are coming off one of their worst seasons under manager Brian Snitker. All year, it was known that Snitker was on an expiring contract, but it remained unclear whether he would choose to retire. Still, the general feeling around the organization was that this would likely be his final year as manager.
“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.”
Shortly after the season ended, Snitker made it official that he was stepping down.
“Brian Snitker will not return as manager of the Atlanta Braves, sources tell ESPN. He informed the team of his decision yesterday. But he will remain with the organization in a senior advisory capacity,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan posted.
As candidates begin to emerge for the vacant managerial position, a familiar name could be in the mix. Kurt Suzuki, who has already interviewed with the San Francisco Giants, might get an opportunity with Atlanta.
“Suzuki spent a couple of seasons with the Braves not long ago, splitting time with Tyler Flowers behind the plate. He retired following the 2022 season and has already received interest from teams looking for a manager. The Giants have interviewed him for their managerial opening, and Suzuki could draw a look from the Braves as their search begins to take shape,” Sports Talk ATL’s Chase Irle wrote.
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Hiring Suzuki would certainly be an interesting move, considering he has no prior managerial experience. However, he is widely respected across the league and has played alongside several members of Atlanta’s current roster.
While it would be a different approach than the Braves typically take, that doesn’t necessarily mean it would be a bad hire. Atlanta’s top priority is finding a leader who can guide them back to October baseball.