MLB insider still believes Brian Snitker will retire at season’s end

Brian Snitker made national headlines last week when he told Braves beat reporters that he is still undecided about whether he will retire at the end of the season.

“It changes, honestly,” Snitker said of his thoughts about retirement, via David O’Brien ofThe Athletic. “And again, this is the first time I’ve ever been through this, thinking these thoughts. And also, just kind of — I don’t want to look back in a year and regret things. But I want to make sure I know where I’m going.”

This came as a surprise because it had long been speculated by MLB insiders that this would be Snitker’s final season as Braves manager — no matter what transpired. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale even went so far as to report that Snitker will retire, naming Walt Weiss and Skip Schumaker as potential candidates to replace him.

“Former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker and bench coach Walt Weiss are expected to be strong candidates to replace Brian Snitker as Atlanta’s manager when he retires after the season,” Nightengale wrote back in July. 

It appears Nightengale may have jumped the gun with that report, but he’s not backing down, recently stating that it would still be a “surprise” if Snitker decided to return.

“Atlanta manager Brian Snitker, who has spent 49 years in the organization, said this week that he remains undecided whether he will retire as manager. Yet, it would be a surprise if he returned after telling friends and peers since last season that this would be his final year, no matter how the team fared.”

At 69 years old and after spending nearly half a century in the Braves organization, there’s nothing left for Snitker to prove. He’s done more for the game of baseball than just about anybody. But anyone doubting that he might still have an itch to continue managing hasn’t been paying attention to professional sports long enough.

Saying goodbye to sports — no matter the level — is never easy, especially for people who have spent nearly their entire lives around the game. That competitive drive is something the rest of us can barely comprehend, which is why we so often see players and managers retire, come back, retire and then sometimes come back again.

There is no easy way to step away from the game, and there’s no reason to think Snitker is exaggerating when he says he has a sour taste in his mouth after this season. He’s led the Braves to the highest of highs, and now they are at the lowest of lows. Does he really want to go out like that? I’m not sure any manager would.