When it became official that Brian Snitker would be stepping down as the Braves manager, the same four names were floated by nearly every MLB insider imaginable — Skip Schumaker (already named Rangers manager), Walt Weiss, David Ross, and Mark DeRosa.

Perhaps the Braves do go in one of those directions, but as Chipper Jones recently pointed out in an interview with Chuck and Chernoff on 680 The Fan, nobody really knows what general manager Alex Anthopoulos is thinking right now.

“We don’t know what Alex is thinking,” Jones said. “He’s never had to do this before. Is he going to get somebody from the outside? Is he going to get somebody with very little experience? Is he going to get a bunch of experience? Is it going to be old school? Is it going to be a Braves lineage guy? Nobody knows.”

What we do know is Alex Anthopoulos is going to be decisive about the direction he goes in, and there are a few under the radar candidates with ties to the organization that could very well receive consideration.

Kurt Suzuki

Suzuki spent a couple of seasons with the Braves not long ago, splitting time with Tyler Flowers behind the plate. He retired following the 2022 season and has already received interest from teams looking for a manager. The Giants have interviewed him for their managerial opening, and Suzuki could draw a look from the Braves as their search begins to take shape.

Ryan Flaherty

Flaherty and Suzuki actually crossed paths as players, both appearing on the 2018 Braves roster. After retiring in 2019, Flaherty joined the Padres organization, where he eventually became the bench coach under Bob Melvin. In 2024, he joined Craig Counsell’s staff in Chicago, helping guide the Cubs back to the postseason for the first time since 2020. Flaherty is expected to receive significant interest from teams across the league once the Cubs’ playoff run ends.

John Gibbons

Gibbons doesn’t have direct ties to the Braves, but he has plenty of experience working with Alex Anthopoulos. When Anthopoulos was general manager of the Blue Jays, Gibbons served as the team’s manager, and together they led Toronto to back-to-back ALCS appearances. Gibbons was eventually let go following the 2018 season and most recently served as the Mets’ bench coach before stepping away, citing the team’s need for “new blood.” It wouldn’t be surprising if his former boss gives him a call during this hiring cycle.