3 Brian Snitker replacements the Braves should have lined up to avoid drama

Jon Heyman of the NY Post revealed a major bombshell on Wednesday, saying that there's a 'decent chance' that Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker retires after next season, the final year of his contract.

Losing Snitker, the man who has been leading this team since the middle of the 2016 season, would be a major blow for the Braves. Alex Anthopoulos deserves a ton of praise for the work he has done as their president of baseball operations, but Snitker has proven to be the right man for this team. They've won the division in each of the last six seasons and won the World Series back in 2021.

Losing Snitker would be a very unfortunate development, but the fact that this came out now means that the Braves have plenty of time to think about potential replacements. Any of these three would make a lot of sense.

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3. Skip Schumaker would be a great option for the Braves if he's willing to take a year off from managing

Skip Schumaker took the Miami Marlins managerial job ahead of the 2023 season and in his first year as their skipper, led them to the postseason. Somehow, despite a brutal run differential, the Marlins eeked out just about every one-run game they participated in, and that was thanks to Schumaker pushing all of the right buttons.

They didn't stand much of a chance in the postseason, but just getting that undermanned team to October was an achievement on its own, and he won the NL Manager of the Year award because of the tremendous job he did.

This season hasn't been quite the same for the Marlins, but it's hardly Schumaker's fault. They traded their best hitter, Luis Arraez, in early May. They've been without their two best pitchers, Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez, all season. They've dealt with a slew of other starting pitching injuries. And again, their roster wasn't all that talented to begin with.

Schumaker had the option year of his contract removed ahead of the 2024 campaign, so he'll be a free agent at the end of this year. That could be a problem when it comes to the Braves' job, as Snitker might retire after 2025. If he's willing to wait a year and take the Atlanta job in the 2025 offseason, it's a slam dunk for the Braves. That's a big if, though, as Schumaker is sure to receive a ton of interest this offseason and could easily find an opportunity he can't pass up.

2. Promoting Walt Weiss would be the easiest move for the Braves to make

If the Braves were to lose Snitker, why not just replace him from someone who is already here? Walt Weiss has been Atlanta's bench coach since the 2017 offseason, meaning he is clearly connected with the players who are here.

Not only is familiarity a big deal in Weiss' favor, but he even has four years of managerial experience under his belt. Now, he did go 283-365 in his four seasons with the Colorado Rockies and failed to put together a winning season from 2013-2016, but he was with the Rockies. Should he really be blamed for failing in that organization?

The checkmarks don't stop there, with Weiss. He even played in parts of 14 seasons in the majors. His final three seasons were with the Braves, one of which saw him make the NL All-Star team. That might not mean much, but that's something players can relate to.

Weiss has been in just about every situation possible whether it be as a player, manager, or bench coach. He hasn't managed this team, but he has been with them for over a half-decade. Promoting him from bench coach to manager would be the easiest and most seamless transition Atlanta can make.

1. The Braves should see if Ron Washington wants to be rescued from the Angels

The Braves coaching staff suffered a major blow this past offseason when Ron Washington, the team's third base coach for most of Snitker's tenure, left to manage the Los Angeles Angels.

It was good to see Washington, a manager who had success in the early 2010s, finally get another shot in charge. The Angels' record might not be great, but with how well their young players like Logan O'Hoppe, Zach Neto, Ben Joyce, and Jose Soriano are performing, it's hard to say he hasn't had a positive impact there.

As fun as it might be for him to help those youngsters develop, the Angels aren't going to win anything anytime soon. Washington still does not have a World Series win under his belt as a manager. He could potentially make a return to Atlanta and compete for a ring with a team he is very familiar with.

It makes too much sense if we're being honest.