Braves' competition for top Brian Snitker replacements just got a lot more fierce

When Brian Snitker announced that he was stepping down as the Atlanta Braves' manager, it was bittersweet. No one argued that Snitker had not meant a lot to the organization as a coach and manager and it was genuinely sad to see him call it quits. However, it wasn't a completely unexpected decision and his choice gave the Braves a chance to install a new manager and coaching staff with a different, perhaps better vision. The search for a replacement manager immediately got under way, but that search just got a lot more complicated.

Before Monday, the list of teams in need of a new manager was pretty long. The Rangers had already filled their vacancy after installing Skip Schumaker in the skipper's chair, but the Angels, Giants, Orioles, Twins, Nationals, and Rockies in addition to the Braves all were looking for a new manager and several of those jobs look pretty attractive (godspeed to whoever takes over the Rockies, though).

Well, now you can add the Padres to the list. In a shocking announcement on Monday, it was revealed that Mike Shildt was retiring as the Padres' manager after just two seasons on the job.

Mike Shildt's retirement just made Braves' quest for a new manager that much more difficult

In his letter explaining his decision, Shildt simply said that the physical, emotional, and mental toll of the grind of the season was too much for him and he felt it was time to focus on his own well-being and exit on his own terms. While there was zero public indication before now that Shildt was even considering retiring, one can respect making the decision himself instead of having it made for him.

Unfortunately for the Braves, this adds yet another attractive opening for the top managerial candidates out there. The Padres have stars on both sides of the ball including young talent like Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. and they narrowly missed advancing in the playoffs this year after a tight series against the Cubs. It is safe to say that if you are one of the better managerial candidates on the market, the idea of managing a really good team while spending half the season in beautiful San Diego has a lot of appeal.

So far, there is no indication that the Braves have even started initial conversations with potential candidates and they could be waiting until the end of the postseason to start that process. The one thing we know for sure now is that whoever they are targeting just had another intriguing job just open up.