Snitker: Braves’ goal must be to win NL East

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — There’s no doubt that the Braves are a couple years away from fully reaping the benefits of a massive rebuilding project that has created the possibility of sustained success over much of the next decade.

But as Brian Snitker prepares for his first full season as a big league manager, he hearkens back to what occurred in September and feels strong enough about this offseason to believe Atlanta already has what it takes to win the National League East.

• Hot Stove Tracker

“I think to a man, when we go to Spring Training, our goal is going to be to win the division,” Snitker said, “and I don’t see why it should be anything other than that.”

This will be widely viewed as an unrealistic hope. But it also serves as another example of why the Braves’ players rallied around the optimistic aura Snitker created during what could have been a disastrous season, and strengthened their argument to keep him around while winning 20 of this past season’s final 30 games.

“I think if you asked our players, they would tell you the …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com