If you ask almost anyone that follows Atlanta Braves baseball even remotely closely, they will say that they expect Brian Snitker to retire as the Braves' manager once the 2025 season ends. All of the major writers are hearing it will happen and there is no shortage of speculation from all corners as to who could (or should) replace Snitker as manager when he does retire. The only thing that is missing is any confirmation at all that he is actually going to retire and that is starting to get kind of weird.
In a lot of cases, the game of baseball makes retirement decisions for managers. They leave an organization, they don't get another job, and then they stop looking for managerial jobs and are just retired. However, Snitker's case is different. He has been with the Braves for decades and the idea that he will just retire without any sort of farewell tour or celebration just seems off.
In comments to The Athletic, Alex Anthopoulos recently covered a wide range of issues and one line of questions was about Snitker and his future with the team. While Anthopoulos very clearly said that "Snit’s going to be in this organization forever," his non-answers beyond that simply added to the bizarre nature of this whole situation.
Brian Snitker's retirement decision and the uncertainty around it is getting a little silly
The most likely explanation here is that Snitker has told people what direction he is leaning, but hasn't actually made a decision yet and that is fair. The Braves certainly don't want to force him out the door before he is ready and Anthopoulos' tone in the interview reflected that, especially when he was asked about the chances of an announcement ahead of time.
"That’s none of my business. He’s worked a lot more years in baseball than I’ve had, and had a way more successful career than I’ve had. And that’s an individual thing. That’s not for me to answer."
Maybe Snitker is actually thinking about staying one more year to end his career on a higher note. It is also possible that he hasn't made a decision at all yet and is taking his time. There is also a very real chance that Snitker just doesn't want a lot of fuss over his pending retirement and will just put out a statement once the season ends and start enjoying time with his family.
It is still odd that there is just so little coming out right now about Snitker's future beyond what has already been sort of assumed. The manager's chair is a big deal for any club and that there is no clarity at all as to what will happen in 2026 feels a bit wonky. For the moment, when and how Snitker chooses to retire is being left firmly in his hands and we may not get any answers for a while still.