Braves General Manager Brian Snitker Unveils Potential Ron Washington Successors

In professional sports, turnover is unavoidable. Teams, whether it’s players or coaches, rarely look the same from year to year. Every season, there are frequently 10 or more new faces in a clubhouse. The Braves are one of the fortunate teams, as their young core is under long-term, team-friendly contracts. They won’t have nearly as much turnover as other teams, but they do need to fill the vacuum left by Eddie Rosario in left field, and probably more crucially, the Braves are looking for new coaches at first and third base.

The Los Angeles Angels formally selected Ron Washington as their manager last week. The team’s six straight division titles, as well as the World Series in 2021, have been attributed to the beloved third base coach. Eric Young Sr., Atlanta’s first base coach, will also join Washington’s staff in Los Angeles, creating two significant vacancies that must be addressed this winter, as Brian Snitker discussed in a recent interview with 680 The Fan.

“It’s difficult,” Snitker remarked of replacing Ron Washington. “The other day, I texted Wash and said, ‘you know what a pain in the ass you’ve caused me by leaving.’ As I already stated, replacing someone like Wash is difficult. Everything he meant to us, everything he brought to this team, everything he brought to these young people.”

There is no way to replace Ron Washington. He is one of a kind, and the Angels are extremely fortunate to have him. It won’t be long before he becomes a fan favorite in Los Angeles, but he may have to perform some miracles to overcome the roster that has been assembled for him.

The Angels appear to be staring a rebuild in the face, as Shohei Ohtani prepares to leave in free agency. Meanwhile, the Braves are in a great position to compete for another World Series, and there are many great coaches who would want to join Brian Snitker’s staff.

“But we’ve lost big players before, and we’ll replace him; we’ll be really good.” It’s going to be difficult. We wish him the best of luck. It’s something Alex and I have discussed, and we’re doing our research and running a number of names through there. So, we’ll acquire the right guys, and we’ll be very good again.”

It will be strange not to see Ron Washington down the third baseline for 162+ games in 2024, and I believe his presence on a daily basis was a big part of the Braves getting to this stage. This team, on the other hand, is just too brilliant to be affected by the loss of one piece. People are lining up outside Brian Snitker’s door, begging for a chance. The Braves will find the perfect player, and as Snit hinted, this team will be a damn machine again in 2024.