The Atlanta Braves are heading into an offseason that could go in several directions. The team is coming off its worst season in quite some time, which has brought changes that were expected in the latter half of the year. Most notably, Brian Snitker will no longer be the manager.
“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.”
The Braves are reportedly gaining a front-runner in the race: Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann.
“As for Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann, his candidacy has seemingly strengthened over the past couple weeks. Lehmann was Los Angeles’ advance video scout when Anthopoulos was with the Dodgers from 2016-17. The two have remained in contact over the years that have followed,” Braves insider Mark Bowman wrote. “With the Dodgers set to begin their World Series battle against the Blue Jays on Friday, Lehmann’s candidacy could lead to the Braves waiting into November before announcing their next manager.”
Free agency is just a few days away, which adds urgency to Atlanta’s search for a new manager.
“While many look to Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann because the Braves have waited this long, we still have to wait and see if this is who their top choice actually is,” SI’s Harrison Smajovitts wrote. “That being said, it’s hard to imagine it take too much longer to make their decision. They’re going to want to know who their manager is when they go about their offseason plans.”
The Braves now face mounting urgency in hiring their next manager. GM Alex Anthopoulos initially emphasized that the team would take its time, but a month later, the clock is ticking. If Atlanta wants a successful offseason in the player department, someone will need to be hired quickly.
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