One of the first dominoes expected to fall this offseason for the Atlanta Braves is their situation with manager Brian Snitker. Snitker entered 2018 in the final year of his contract and as the lowest paid manager in the majors.
Snitker talked with the AJC’s Gabe Burns on Tuesday and expressed his desire to return to the dugout in 2019.
“Until something gets done – I understand that you’re never guaranteed tomorrow,” Snitker said. “I know I’d like to (come back). I’ve enjoyed it. I like that group in there. I like being around them. That group in there is awesome. So I could do a few more years.”
Burns reports that the team will likely announce its 2019 coaching staff in the next week. Snitker is hoping to have some clarity on his situation by the end of the week.
Snitker has the trust and support of his players as they have gone to great lengths to praise him throughout his time in the dugout. He seemed to embrace a more analytical approach and was more receptive to using that information.
Snitker has also praised his working relationship with general manager Alex Anthopoulos and his staff. That was not something that was always there with his predecessor John Coppolella.
If I had to guess, I would expect Snitker to return on a multi-year contract. While he may not be the on field tactician that many want, he has the support and trust of his players which can be valuable, especially to a team with a young roster like Atlanta. It would be rather surprising to see them go in another direction at this point. However, like Snitker said above, until it gets down you aren’t guaranteed anything but this should be the first domino to fall this offseason.