The Atlanta Braves are heading into an offseason that could bring significant changes. One move that seems more likely than not is longtime manager Brian Snitker stepping down. Snitker is in the final year of his contract, and retirement appears almost certain.
“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.”
Beyond the manager position, the Braves are also expected to make changes to their roster this winter. One possibility is trading catcher Sean Murphy.
“The rest of Atlanta’s remaining pieces are either building blocks that cannot be dealt or have lost all potential trade value. With this in mind, Murphy should be tasked to bring in a fix for another position. Baldwin can be the starting catcher, with a backup brought in to help ease the workload and put Baldwin in the designated hitter role sporadically. This move is fueled not only by the emergence of Baldwin, but the need for the Braves to cut payroll while improving,” wrote ATL All Day’s Nick Halden.
As the Braves explore upgrades, one name that has already surfaced is Bo Bichette.
“Unsurprisingly, the experts have already noticed that the Braves could use a new shortstop which is exactly why MLB insider Mark Feinsand named Atlanta as a good fit for pending free agent Bo Bichette,” HTHB’s Eric Cole wrote.
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Bichette is an exciting shortstop with a proven bat, but his defense is inconsistent. While he’d be an offensive upgrade over Nick Allen, his presence could create a defensive gap in the middle infield. Still, the Braves have struggled at the shortstop position offensively all season, and Bichette would bring some much-needed stability at the plate.
In the end, it’s all about preference and risk tolerance. If Atlanta wants to remain competitive, adding Bichette might be a necessary move, even if it comes with some trade-offs.
