Anyone the Nationals has ever hired to be their manager had some kind of uncertainty surrounding him.
Manny Acta had worked his way up the coaching and managerial ladder for 20 years, but had never done it on the big stage before the Nats gave him his opportunity. Jim Riggleman was a good X's and O's guy during a ballgame, but wasn't known for being a strong presence in the clubhouse. Davey Johnson had won a World Series, but that was 25 years earlier and he hadn't been in a major league...
The Nationals have an agreement in place with Dave Martinez to become the club's seventh manager, and despite his lack of experience they'll be giving him more job security than any of their previous six skippers.
Martinez and the Nats have agreed to a three-year contract with an option for a fourth year, a source familiar with the deal confirmed. A formal announcement isn't likely to come until later this week, after the World Series ends.
Martinez emerged over the weekend as the...
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Wilmer Difo, who upon being given a chance to play regularly showed off some dynamic skills and an excellent glove.
PLAYER REVIEW: WILMER DIFO
Age on opening day 2018: 25
How acquired: Signed as international free agent, June 2010
MLB service time: 1 year, 98 days
2017 salary: $537,800
Contract status: Under team control through 2019, arbitration-eligible in 2020,...
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Adam Lind, who was signed on the eve of spring training but proved to be a vital piece off the bench this season.
PLAYER REVIEW: ADAM LIND
Age on opening day 2018: 34
How acquired: Signed as free agent, February 2017
MLB service time: 10 years, 58 days
2017 salary: $1 million (made an additional $800,000 for playing in at least 110 games).
Contract status: $5...
The Nationals interviewed one available World Series-winning manager today, but have yet to contact the other prominent name who also fits that description.
John Farrell, fired two weeks ago by the Red Sox, formally met today with general manager Mike Rizzo and members of the Nationals ownership group, a source familiar with the process confirmed. Farrell becomes the third known candidate for the job, along with Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez (who interviewed Thursday and is considered among...
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Adam Eaton, who impressed in his first month with the Nats before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
PLAYER REVIEW: ADAM EATON
Age on opening day 2018: 29
How acquired: Traded from White Sox for Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López and Dane Dunning, December 2016
MLB service time: 5 years, 30 days
2017 salary: $4 million
Contract status: Signed for $6 million in...
In electing last week not to bring back Dusty Baker as manager, the Nationals also informed their entire coaching staff their fates would not be determined until a new skipper was hired. Thus, those six men were free to talk to other clubs in the interim and pursue any opportunities made available to them.
Today, Mike Maddux seized an opportunity. The Nationals' popular pitching coach of the last two seasons has taken that role with the Cardinals, ensuring his former club will have another...
If the Nationals want an accomplished manager with postseason success already on his resume, one of the biggest names out there just became available in surprising fashion.
Joe Girardi, who won the 2009 World Series and three more playoff series for the Yankees since, was let go this morning by the club that employed him the last 10 seasons, immediately making the 53-year-old the hottest managerial candidate on the open market.
Whether that makes him the hottest candidate for the Nats' open...
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Howie Kendrick, a trade deadline acquisition who delivered for two months but then saw little action in the playoffs.
PLAYER REVIEW: HOWIE KENDRICK
Age on opening day 2018: 34
How acquired: Traded from Phillies for McKenzie Mills, July 2017
MLB service time: 11 years, 91 days
2017 salary: $10 million
Contract status: Free agent
2017 stats: 91 G, 334 PA, 305 AB, 40...
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Jayson Werth, whose seventh (and likely final) season in D.C. didn't go the way he hoped it would.
PLAYER REVIEW: JAYSON WERTH
Age on opening day 2018: 38
How acquired: Signed as free agent, Dec. 2010
MLB service time: 14 years, 102 days
2017 salary: $21 million
Contract status: Free agent. (Nats will be paying him $10 million in deferred salary in 2018.)
2017...
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Michael A. Taylor, who for the third straight year was given a chance to play every day and finally made the most of it.
PLAYER REVIEW: MICHAEL A. TAYLOR
Age on opening day 2018: 27
How acquired: Sixth-round pick, 2009 draft
MLB service time: 3 years, 10 days
2017 salary: $557,900
Contract status: Arbitration-eligible in 2018. Free agent in 2021.
2017 stats: 118 G,...
The Nationals have begun the search for a new manager, and they would prefer that search be a quick one.
After informing Dusty Baker on Friday morning he wouldn't be retained despite division titles in each of his two seasons in Washington, the Nationals began to compile a list of potential candidates to replace the popular former skipper. They're now beginning the process of zeroing in on a handful of top candidates from that list and beginning to reach out to some for a first round of...
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Bryce Harper, who was on track for another MVP award until his scary knee injury in August.
PLAYER REVIEW: BRYCE HARPER
Age on opening day 2018: 25
How acquired: First-round pick, 2010 draft
MLB service time: 5 years, 159 days
2017 salary: $13.625 million
Contract status: Signed for $21.625 million in 2018. Free agent in 2019.
2017 stats: 111 G, 492 PA, 420 AB, 95...
One of the Nationals' preferred candidates for their now-vacant managerial position appears to already be headed elsewhere. And even if he's not, the Nats would have to wait until the end of the World Series to hire him.
Alex Cora has been on the Nationals' radar, but the popular Astros bench coach already interviewed with the Red Sox and is expected to be named Boston's new manager once Houston's season is over, according to reports by The Athletic and NBC Sports Boston.
The Astros'...
Let's for a moment try to view the Nationals' managerial situation in a vacuum. Block out past history and reputation of both the organization and of Dusty Baker. Forget about dollar amounts. Don't consider who else might be available for the job right now.
Baker's Nationals won 95 games and a division title in 2016, then lost a heartbreaker of a five-game National League Division Series to the Dodgers, with all three losses in the series coming by one run. Baker's team then won 97 games...
Dusty Baker's unsettled contract situation hovered over the Nationals all season, but throughout it all, both Baker and general manager Mike Rizzo expressed confidence not only that both sides wanted the manager to return in 2018 but also that a deal was likely to get done once the season ended.
Only two weeks ago, as his team prepared for the National League Division Series, Rizzo continued to express that same confidence, even though they had not yet engaged in contract negotiations.
"We...
Dusty Baker is out as Nationals manager, leaving the franchise yet again looking for a new clubhouse and dugout leader.
The club made the surprising announcement this afternoon, electing not to bring back Baker, who had won back-to-back National League East titles and an average of 96 wins per season. The 68-year-old Baker, whose teams lost in Game 5 of the National League Division Series each of his two seasons, was not under contract beyond 2017.
"The Lerner family, on behalf of the entire...
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Matt Wieters, who struggled in his first season in D.C. but was well-liked by the pitching staff.
PLAYER REVIEW: MATT WIETERS
Age on opening day 2018: 31
How acquired: Signed as free agent, February 2017
MLB service time: 8 years, 129 days
2017 salary: $10.5 million
Contract status: Holds $10.5 million player option for 2018. Free agent in 2019.
2017 stats: 123 G,...
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Anthony Rendon, who completed an elite all-around season that made him a legitimate MVP candidate.
PLAYER REVIEW: ANTHONY RENDON
Age on opening day 2018: 27
How acquired: First-round pick, 2011 draft
MLB service time: 4 years, 130 days
2017 salary: $5.8 million
Contract status: Arbitration-eligible in 2018. Free agent in 2020.
2017 stats: 147 G, 605 PA, 508 AB, 81...
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Trea Turner, whose first full big league season was interrupted by injuries.
PLAYER REVIEW: TREA TURNER
Age on opening day 2018: 24
How acquired: Acquired from Padres with Joe Ross, with Nats trading Steven Souza Jr. and Travis Ott to Rays in three-team deal, December 2014
MLB service time: 1 year, 135 days
2017 salary: $554,900
Contract status: Under team control...