Replacing a World Series-winning manager is no easy task. For the Atlanta Braves, that mission is made even tougher since the roster is competitive, and ready to win now. The Braves poor 2025 season can, for the most part, be blamed on bad luck and injuries. Sure, there are some long-term concerns, such as Ozzie Albies regressing to the mean and their solution at shortstop, but the Braves have real building blocks any manager would love to work with.
Brian Snitker benefitted from Alex Anthopoulos roster building for years. The pair were together since Anthopoulos was hired as the team’s new president of baseball operations in 2017. Anthopoulos, as an incoming lead executive, could’ve cleaned house and gotten rid of Snitker in favor of his own managerial hire. Instead, he trusted those who came before him and Snitker’s resume – the man spent decades with the Braves, and will go down as one of the best baseball minds in franchise history.
However, it is Anthopoulos’ tendency to trust those around him and proceed with caution that could cost the Braves this time around. This winter is the first time Anthopoulos will have to hire his own manager in Atlanta. Considering how stable of a presence Snitker was, there’s some inherited risk. Braves fans must trust the man who got them here. So far, Anthopoulos is playing things a bit too close to the vest.
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The Braves did not inquire about new Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker before he was hired, per The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli. The writing was on the wall for Schumaker, who spent the 2025 season as a special assistant to Rangers general manager Chris Young. Schumaker got to know the organization and, as a result, was deemed the replacement for future Hall of Famer Bruce Bochy. Still, one point made by Ghiroli was alarming. Every team in need of a manager but the Braves tried to get an interview with Schumaker.
This indicates one of two things: Either the Braves know something the rest of the league doesn’t about Schumaker, or there is a specific reason they chose not to inquire about his services. Atlanta, as a team that often breaks news in press releases, knows better than most how tough it is to keep a secret in MLB. Schumaker’s resume is clean. His time in Miami, however, did ruffle some feathers in the Braves clubhouse.
The Marlins and Braves got into it several times over Schumaker’s tenure, specifically in incidents involving Atlanta’s star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. Schumaker alone cannot be blamed for his team’s actions – and it should come as no surprise that he defended his players in the moment – but there’s certainly a chance the Braves front office preferred not to hire a former rival. It wouldn’t be the first time an organization thought with its heart instead of its head.
It’s a league-wide norm to give coaches a chance to interview for open jobs after the end of any regular season. The Braves, of course, did the same. Yet, considering several of their assistants, including Walt Weiss and perhaps Fredi Gonzalez, could get interviews to replace Snitker…maybe Anthopoulos could’ve waited a couple of weeks.
“Atlanta gave Brian Snitker’s coaches permission to interview for other jobs, though bench coach Walt Weiss is expected to get consideration as Snitker’s successor,” Ghiroli wrote in her column, while also adding that the Baltimore Orioles were ahead of Atlanta in the managerial process. If Baltimore is beating them, that’s not a great sign. Surely the Braves have higher standards.
Ghiroli mentioned David Ross as one possible fit in Atlanta, but also Baltimore. While I wouldn’t call Ross a must-get for the Braves, it’s not a good sign that the Braves are well behind on a candidate they’d like to interview.
If Anthopoulos and the Braves aren’t careful, these same grudges and norms could cost them the Snitker replacement they actually want.
