The MLB postseason may have just begun, but it’s been a busy few days for front offices around the league as they’ve begun to reshape their coaching staff ahead of the 2026 campaign.
Atlanta’s Brian Snitker became the latest coaching casualty on Wednesday, as the Braves announced that his 10 year run with the club had come to an end. The 69 year helped guide Atlanta to a World Series title in 2021, and will reportedly stay involved in an advisory role moving forward.
Snitker has been with the Braves in various roles since 1977 including several positions with their minor league affiliates. With a contract that was set to expire, the long time manager had flirted with the idea of trying to continue in his current role. However sources indicate that after internal dialogue with the club, both parties felt that a new voice was needed.
It’s unclear what Snitker’s new responsibilities will entail, though GM Alex Anthopoulos did mention back in early September that he wanted the veteran bench boss to be a “Brave for life”. Over the course of his tenure, Atlanta went 811-668, but missed the playoffs for the first time in 7 years.
In addition to Snitker, it was announced that the Colorado Rockies would be parting ways with GM Bill Schmidt following a disastrous 43-119 season out west. San Francisco also relieved Bob Melvin of his managerial duties, the Minnesota Twins fired Rocco Baldelli, and the Texas Rangers also parted ways with Bruce Bochy.
On Tuesday the Los Angeles Angels announced that Ron Washington and Ray Montgomery would both be let go and that a new coaching search would begin immediately.
Some of the interesting names that have popped up in conversations around the league recently include Craig Albernaz (CLE), Ryan Flaherty (CHC), Nick Hundley (TEX), Tony Vitello (U. of Tennessee), Kai Correa (CLE), and James Rowson (NYY) amongst others.
All but Snitker that have been relieved of their duties appear to be open at the moment for a new role with another club, and former managers Derek Shelton, Skip Schumaker, Dusty Baker, and Mike Scioscia could also be added to that mix as well.
In all likelihood, there will be some additional changes still to come for other clubs, adding some more names to the pool and suitors to the list. But for now, baseball appears to be at a crossroads of bringing in a blend of household names, and first time managers who could shape the future of the sport at the big league level.
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