Braves’ Snitker unsure about future: ‘I still feel like there’s unfinished business here’

“I’m juggling a lot of things. I’m thinking about a lot of things. I honestly don’t know where I’m going to end up and what decision I’m going to make. I still kind of feel like there’s some unfinished business here.”

He added: “It’s almost like it depends on the day when you ask me. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about it and I’m not 100% sure which direction I want to go yet.”

Snitker’s contract expires following the season. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos spoke with reporters earlier this week and said there’s no timetable for Snitker to make his decision. Snitker expressed appreciation for Anthopoulos’ honesty and for understanding as he weighs multiple factors with his family.

This season, though, has been a major disappointment. The Braves will have their first losing campaign since 2017. They were undone by injuries and underperformance, stumbling into a 65-80 record entering Wednesday.

Asked if Snitker has considered the circumstances in his retirement debate — would you want to go out like this? — he answered, “Yeah, a little bit.”

Anthopoulos said the Braves haven’t started doing background work on potential candidates should Snitker not return, but executives typically have such information as they must be prepared for any scenario. Still, it makes sense Anthopoulos wouldn’t want to speak too much about Snitker’s status in respect to the beloved manager’s process.

Snitker is one of the more respected people in the game, adored by his players in a manner comparable with Cox, whose player-friendly demeanor always was cited when discussing his legendary career. Snitker referenced Cox on Wednesday when talking about how he still feels passionately, noting Cox said in his last season (2010), “If I knew I’d have felt this good, I wouldn’t have retired.”

“He’s a true professional,”Braves pitcher Chris Sale said. “You talk about a guy with a wealth of knowledge in the game. He’s been around the game as long as anybody I’ve been around. He means as much to this organization as anybody. He’s always been honest with me and he’s given me every opportunity I could ever imagine. Even in between innings during starts, in between outings, some things — his door is always open and he’s an open book. That’s all you can ask for in a manager as a player.”

Sale added he’s seen the same fire in Snitker as a competitor: “He wants to win. He cares a lot about this place. He cares a lot about the history of this place. I don’t ever see that changing whether he’s here another 10 years or another 10 days or whatever it is. He cares about the Atlanta Braves, the organization, the fan base, the players who’ve been here, are here and are going to be here.”

Anthopoulos said Snitker always will have a role in the organization. He would transition into some type of front-office role upon retirement, as has been the case with numerous iconic franchise figures through the years.

The Astros visit Truist Park this weekend, which gives Snitker the chance to see his son, Troy, who serves as one of Houston’s hitting coaches. The Braves will have one more homestand, hosting the Nationals and Pirates to conclude the season Sept. 22-28.

It’s unclear whether Snitker will announce — or even make — a decision before the season concludes. He reiterated several times Wednesday that he was genuinely undecided.

“(My mind) changes, honestly,” Snitker said. “Again, this is the first time I’ve ever been through this and thinking these thoughts. I don’t want to look back in a year and regret things. I want to make sure I know where I’m going.”