Snitker receives new two-year deal as manager of surprising Braves

Brian Snitker has a twoyear contract for only the second time in his 43 years with the Atlanta Braves.

It’s little wonder that Snitker, who will turn 63 Wednesday, said Monday he never assumed he would be asked to return as manager even after leading Atlanta to a surprise National League East Division title and its first playoff berth since 2013.

“I’ve been around long enough to know you’re never guaranteed tomorrow in this business,” Snitker said after his two-year deal was announced by general manager Alex Anthopoulos.

The deal also includes a club option for 2021.

Snitker began his long run with the Braves as a minor league player in 1977 and spent 20 years as a minor league manager in addition to stints as Atlanta’s bullpen coach and third-base coach.

He said his only previous two-year contract came when Bobby Cox became general manager in 1985.

Now, as a leading candidate to be NL manager of the year, he again has more than a one-year contract.

“It does give you a sense of accomplishment, I guess,” Snitker said.

“I feel really good about it. I feel good I have the opportunity to stay around longer and be a part of this.”

Pitching coach Chuck Hernandez will not return. All other members of Snitker’s coaching staff also received two-year deals.

Anthopoulos said it was his suggestion to replace Hernandez, who he said is “open-minded” about possibly returning in another capacity. Anthopoulos said Snitker had to be talked into replacing Hernandez.

“The human being he is, I think he would have had continuity there . ... I had some concerns. The more we talked about it, he understood,” Anthopoulos said.

Rangers

Texas now has interviewed a half-dozen candidates in their search for a new manager.

According to people familiar with the details, the Rangers conducted two more interviews Monday to increase the total to six. They spoke Monday with Rocco Baldelli and David Bell. The Rangers are not making public comments about the first round of managerial interviews.

Baldelli is the major league field coordinator for the Tampa Bay Rays, and Bell is vice president of player development for the San Francisco Giants and the son of former Rangers third baseman Buddy Bell.

Texas is looking to replace former Pirates coach Jeff Banister, who was fired with 10 games left in the team’s second consecutive losing season. Of the candidates interviewed so far, former New York Yankees and Florida Marlins manager Joe Girardi is the only one with major league managerial experience.

Cubs

Chicago is turning to a familiar face to help with their inconsistent offense. Chicago hired Anthony Iapoce as its hitting coach Monday, replacing the fired Chili Davis.

Iapoce, 45, was a special assistant in the Cubs front office for three years from 2013-15, helping several of their current position players while overseeing the club’s minor league hitting program.

He served as Texas hitting coach the past three seasons, a span in which the Rangers ranked fifth in the American League in runs and fourth in home runs.

The 2017 Rangers were the first MLB team with nine players to reach at least 17 homers in the same season.

Blue Jays

Toronto will play preseason games in Montreal for the sixth consecutive year, closing their exhibition schedule March 25-26 at Olympic Stadium against Milwaukee. The games will mark the 50th anniversary of the first games of the Montreal Expos, who moved to Washington and became the Nationals after the 2004 season.

Montreal hopes to get an expansion team, but Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred says Oakland and Tampa Bay must get new ballparks before expansion can take place.