April 17, 2024
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker, coming off the team's fifth consecutive NL East title, signed a contract extension on Friday that runs through the 2025 season.
Snitker, 67, guided the Braves to the 2021 World Series championship before the team won 101 games last season.
Snitker said Saturday he is excited about the future of the Braves, who have locked up many core players to long-term deals despite losing shortstop Dansby Swanson and first baseman Freddie Freeman as free agents in back-to-back offseasons.
Snitker applauded the work of general manager Alex Anthopoulos in signing newly acquired catcher Sean Murphy and others to long-term deals.
“We’ve done a good job,” Snitker said at the Braves Fest for fans at Truist Park. “I think now you’re going to see the core group of these guys here every year for this thing. I think that’s what Alex does, keeping those young, quality guys around.”
Murphy signed a $73 million, six-year contract after he was acquired from Oakland. He is going to share playing time with Travis d'Arnaud.
The Braves also reached long-term deals with sluggers Austin Riley and Matt Olson, as well as rookie stars Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider, in the past year.
The Braves have signed outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and second baseman Ozzie Albies to similar deals. The team has seven core players under contract for at least three more seasons, and club options could extend the deals even more.
The Braves plan on a 2022 rookie, Vaughn Grissom, competing with Orlando Arcia at shortstop in spring training.
Now Snitker is on board for at least three more seasons. He will be entering his 47th year with the organization and his seventh full season as Braves manager. He took over as interim manager on May 17, 2016, before landing the full-time position later that year.
He has a 542-451 record with Atlanta following more than 1,300 wins in the minor leagues.
After waiting so long for his opportunity to manage in the majors, Snitker has shown no sign he's thinking of retiring. He said he's making one change in his offseason routine — repeat visits to Hawaii for longer vacations after taking his wife, Ronnie, on their first one-week visit after last season.
“That’s the first time I’ve taken a non-baseball-related trip with my wife,” Snitker said.
“I said if I’m going to keep working, we’ve got to start doing this every year. ... I’m going for longer next time.”
Snitker finished third in the manager of the year voting last season after winning the award in 2018. He also was a finalist for the honor in 2019 and finished fourth in 2020 and 2021.
Snitker is the first manager in franchise history to take the team to the postseason five times in his first six full seasons.
