Braves reunite with $1 million World Series champion for third stint after recent breakup

Hunter Cookston

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Braves reunite with $1 million World Series champion for third stint after recent breakup image

The Atlanta Braves are making a change at the managerial position—one of several expected moves this offseason. Brian Snitker will no longer be the team’s manager, which had long been anticipated.

“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.”

In other roster news, the Braves also lost former World Series champion Sandy León earlier in the week after he elected free agency.

“On Monday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reported that León elected free agency after being outrighted off the Braves' 40-man roster at the end of the season. The 36-year-old's player transactions page did not yet reflect the move as of Monday afternoon. León went 1-for-12 in his brief cameo with the Braves in the majors, as his five games were spread out over the span of two months,” SI’s Jackson Roberts wrote.

However, the Braves chose to bring León back into the organization on Thursday with a minor league deal.

“The Atlanta Braves bring veteran catching depth back into the system. According to his transaction page, Sandy León is back on a minor league deal. He has been assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett, where he spent nearly all of the last two seasons,” SI’s Harrison Smajovits wrote.

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This move is purely a depth signing, providing insurance in case injuries hit the catching corps again—as they did last season. León, a seasoned veteran, is known to be a solid clubhouse presence.

While this isn’t the splashy move fans may be hoping for, it could be the first of many. With a managerial vacancy and plenty of room to retool the roster, the Braves are expected to make bigger moves as the offseason progresses.

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Hunter Cookston

Hunter Cookston began his career as a sportswriter for the Marion Tribune, where he covered local high school football, basketball and baseball. His passion for sports started at the age of four when he played his first year of tee ball. Growing up in Tennessee, he developed a deep love for the Tennessee Volunteers and Atlanta Braves. Hunter is currently attending Tennessee Wesleyan University, where he is pursuing a BA in Sports Communications/Management.