Why Soler’s reunion with ‘excited’ Braves manager Brian Snitker originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Jorge Soler’s abrupt negotiation to the Atlanta Braves took the baseball world by surprise, but their former captain couldn’t have been happier about the club’s reunion with the right-handed slugger.
Before Tuesday’s game at Oracle Park, Braves manager Brian Snitker detailed how Soler’s return to Atlanta not only provided a boost on the field, but also in the clubhouse.
“He’s a great teammate, we just have great memories of him and the person he is,” Snitker said. “As a teammate, the whole thing. It’s easy to get a guy like that back when you have that experience with him, and he meant a lot in our league. It’s great to have the good guy back too. Everyone thinks the world. We were excited when trade fell.
Soler immediately found his groove after reuniting with his former team, slashing .282/.404./.615 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in 11 games since being traded to the Braves.
The powerful right-hander took home World Series MVP honors with Atlanta in 2021, hitting .300 with three home runs and six RBIs in the Braves’ six-game victory over the Houston Astros.
After hitting 36 home runs for the Miami Marlins during the 2023 season, Soler was never able to find the same rhythm during his short tenure with the Giants, which led to San Francisco close a deal with Atlanta which was seen as an opportunity to open the door to more playing time for younger players.
The Braves are currently holding the third and final NL wild card spot, 2.5 games ahead of the Giants, while Atlanta and San Francisco continue a four-game series for the Bay that has massive ramifications on the MLB Playoffs Image.
As Snitker sits in the visitor’s dugout at Oracle Park, he happily takes comfort in the return of a familiar face who was a fixture in his current opponent’s lineup just a few weeks ago.
