Travis d'Arnuad is entering his 12th season in Major League Baseball and his 5th with the Atlanta Braves. At 35 years of age and over a decade spent as a catcher, it is safe to say that his playing days are drawing to a close. He is currently signed through the end of 2024 with a team option for the 2025 season.
He will look to help the Braves reach their seventh consecutive NL East title after the front office reloaded the team for a shot at another World Series.
Once d'Arnuad retires the shin guards, he may not be done wearing a baseball uniform. He was asked by Chris Dimino from 680 The Fan ahead of Spring Training if he has given any thought to managing a team. The short answer is yes. You can listen to his full response below.
He's got my vote🫡 @chrisdimino pic.twitter.com/SFfD5yotRs
— 680 The Fan (@680TheFan) February 21, 2024
Obviously, for Travis, there is a lot to consider and he would need there to be a mutual interest between himself and a team with a vacancy to make that dream come true. d'Arnuad is very much a family man and understands this hypothetical new career path could keep him away from his family even more than as a player.
Travis d'Arnuad seems to have all of the qualities that a team would want in a manager. He already mentioned during his interview how important building relationships with the players is, he has leadership qualities from being a catcher in the big leagues and has even had to revive his career.
He is excellent at helping young players develop and that is a very important skill for a manager to have. That will work in his favor when the time comes to make the transition from player to manager.
Before coming to the Braves, d'Arnuad bounced around quite a bit looking for a place he could perform. His struggles had him close to hanging it up but his resilience prevailed and he even helped lead Atlanta to a World Series win in 2021.
d'Arnuad being a manager could happen sooner than you think. Take his former teammate Stephen Vogt for example. Vogt finished his playing career and less than two years later he is the skipper for a respectable organization, the Cleveland Guardians.
We know that Brian Snitker may be counting his days as well. If the Braves do not exercise d'Arnuad's 2025 option and Snitker decides to retire, albeit unlikely, we could see Travis d'Arnuad as a potential candidate to replace Snit at the helm.
Whatever he decides, d'Arnaud is one of the best parts of the current Braves lineup and he has been a great addition to the clubhouse. He will make an excellent manager whether that be in Atlanta or elsewhere.