The Atlanta Braves are heading into what appears to be the final season of the Brian Snitker era, with retirement looming on the horizon. There’s growing belief that if Snitker doesn't retire on his own, Atlanta may choose to part ways with him following a disappointing year.
“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.”
As the Snitker era nears its conclusion, the Braves are also looking ahead—specifically at shortstop, one of the team’s biggest holes. While the front office typically avoids big spending in free agency, there’s speculation they could break that trend.
One name to watch is Toronto Blue Jays star Bo Bichette.
“Unsurprisingly, the experts have already noticed that the Braves could use a new shortstop which is exactly why MLB insider Mark Feinsand named Atlanta as a good fit for pending free agent Bo Bichette,” HTHB’s Eric Cole wrote.
While Bichette remains a top target, a new name has recently emerged in the conversation.
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“Shortstop is going to be a focus this offseason. A name in the last 48 hours has sort of been looked at is Trevor Story, who has had an excellent season with the Boston Red Sox. The Braves right now need to find a solution at shortstop for next year,” ESPN’s Buster Olney said.
Story would undoubtedly be an upgrade from Nick Allen, but his durability remains a concern. Since joining Boston, staying healthy has been a major challenge for him.
Shortstop is clearly the Braves' biggest area of need. If they can solve it this offseason, a deep postseason run in 2026 could be well within reach.