3 Notable Names Will NOT Be Part of Atlanta Braves Managerial Search

The Atlanta Braves are in need of a replacement for manager Brian Snitker, who has decided to retire. The 69-year-old will remain with the organization in an advisory role.

As for who the new skipper could be, there have been several names floated in these early stages, but according to Mark Bowman of mlb.com, we can already cross three notable names off the list.

Strike John Gibbons off the list of potential new Braves managers

The one that made the most sense was former Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, who took the 2015 & 2016 Jays teams to back-to-back ALCS appearances. His GM for the first of those, and several years before? Alex Antholopoulos.

Gibbons removed himself from the New York Mets' coaching staff, and it was thought he'd be a natural for the Braves' job. But according to Bowman, a source told him that Gibbons is not a candidate in Atlanta.

David Ross, Mark DeRosa no longer candidates for Braves skipper

But that's not all:

"David Ross and Mark DeRosa were speculated as candidates throughout the summer months," writes Bowman. "But as October has progressed, there has been no indication that either can be considered a candidate".

Internal candidates Walt Weiss and Eddie Perez, both Braves coaches, are also thought to be on the outs.

So who ARE the leading candidates at this point? Turns out one of them is a little busy helping to prepare his team for the World Series these days. Los Angeles Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann has seen his case strengthened in recent weeks, says Bowman. Lehmann "was Los Angeles’ advance video scout when Anthopoulos was with the Dodgers from 2016-17. The two have remained in contact over the years that have followed."

Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty and Tigers bench coach George Lombard seem to be other candidates the Braves are seriously considering.

Atlanta finished a disappointing 76-86 this season, their worst record since 2017. But the pieces are still in place to be back in contention next season.