Much like 28 other teams sitting at home watching the Fall Classic, the Atlanta Braves are already in offseason mode. Unlike most of those teams, the Braves are doing so without a manager. Atlanta honored Brian Snitker with a parting of ways following a disappointing campaign. Snitker was ready to retire, anyway, but the Braves could use a new voice and fresh perspective to lead this talented team into the future.
As other talented teams like the Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants have already filled their managerial openings, the Braves haven't been as lucky. That could be due to a lack of preparation from the front office, but anyone who has covered Alex Anthopoulos as much as we have the last few years knows that's likely not the case. Anthopoulos operates like an undercover cop, refusing to leak information about the Braves plans to the media and eventually revealing his overarching scheme in a press release and donation to the Braves foundation.
Braves fans have plenty of reasons to watch the World Series this October even though they aren't playing in it, and that starts with Freddie Freeman, a former franchise icon who took his talents to Los Angeles after winning it all with Atlanta back in 2021. That's not where the Braves rooting interest ends, however.
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Braves next manager might be coaching in the World Series
David O'Brien, who covers the Braves for The Athletic, hinted at why the team hasn't hired their manager yet. In short, it's because they can't. Their ideal managerial fit is too busy playing a major role on Dave Roberts' coaching staff at the moment.
"My guess is the delay in Braves hiring a manager has less to do with casting a wide net than with waiting for Danny Lehmann to finish bench-coaching with the Dodgers in the World Series. I think he’s the one they want, and it would signal a commitment to cutting-edge analytics and process," O'Brien wrote.
O'Brien also notes that the Braves have one of the better analytics departments in baseball, and moving away from Snitker in favor of a strong analytical mind like Lehmann could be just what the doctor ordered. It also helps that Lehmann has a connection to Anthopoulos, as the pair overlapped in AA's time with the Dodgers back in 2016-17. At the time, Lehmann was an Advance Video Scout for LA.
Danny Lehmann has strong competition for the Braves managerial job
While Lehmann will certainly be involved in the Braves managerial search when the Dodgers season is over, he is not alone. George Lombard or Ryan Flaherty have stronger connections to Anthopoulos, along with current member of the Braves coaching staff under Snitker like Walt Weiss, who has previous experience as a manager and was Snitker's right-hand man for years. Ron Washington, who's received nothing but praise from Snitker and current Braves players, is also available after he was relieved of his duties with the Los Angeles Angels.
What Lehmann has that these other candidates don't, though, is time with the best organization in baseball. The Dodgers are running laps around the Braves and rest of the National League for that matter, and adding from Roberts' coaching tree makes a lot of sense for Atlanta as they hope to play catch-up. Lehmann is also just 39 years old, which is in stark contrast to many of the other candidates who have surfaced since Snitker departed weeks ago.
What the Braves are truly rooting for more than most organizations, though, is a swift end to this series so they can move forward with their winter plans. Whether Lehmann is hired or not, the Braves need to interview him to know if he's the right choice to replace Snitker. The sooner this series ends, the more quickly they can make that happen.