The Atlanta Braves are moving on from manager Brian Snitker after a disappointing season that fell well short of expectations. Snitker officially announced he won’t be returning in the same role next season, ending a decade-long run that included plenty of success but couldn’t deliver the ultimate prize.
The writing was on the wall for months. This move had long been considered the most likely outcome, especially given Snitker’s age and contract situation.
“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. 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.”
That’s how Kerry Miller from Bleacher Report put it, and it captures the situation perfectly. Sometimes timing just works out that way.
The Braves Show Their Appreciation
Atlanta isn’t sending Snitker off empty-handed. The organization is showing some real class here, honoring his decade of service in a big way.
680 The Fan reported that Terry McGuirk announced the club is giving Snitker a new Ford truck, an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii, and induction into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2026.
That’s a nice touch. Say what you want about how this season ended, but Snitker earned that recognition.
An Unexpected Name Emerges
Now comes the interesting part – who replaces him? One name that’s surfacing might surprise you: Tony Vitello, the head coach at the University of Tennessee.
The Athletic’s David O’Brien wrote: “If the Braves think outside the box, they might consider University of Tennessee coach Tony Vitello.”
It’s not just Atlanta, either. Vitello’s name has come up for multiple managerial openings around the league, which tells you something about how he’s viewed in baseball circles.
The question is whether he’d actually leave Tennessee. Vitello’s built something special in Knoxville, and there’s even bigger things brewing on Rocky Top. Walking away from that wouldn’t be easy.
But here’s the thing – managing in the big leagues is a different kind of opportunity. If the Braves came calling with a serious offer, it might be too tempting to pass up.
What makes this interesting is the contrast in styles. Vitello represents more of a modern-day approach compared to Snitker’s old-school methods. That kind of shift could signal where the Braves want to go moving forward.
We’ll see how serious Atlanta is about thinking outside the box. Sometimes the best moves are the ones that catch everyone off guard.
