Source: Nats hiring Miguel Cairo as bench coach

After filling two vacant spots on their coaching staff with in-house promotions, the Nationals are now filling a prime vacancy with a notable outside name.

Miguel Cairo will be Davey Martinez’s new bench coach, a source familiar with the decision confirmed, reuniting the former Tampa Bay teammates and giving Martinez another experienced voice in the dugout.

Cairo, 49, spent this season as the Mets minor league infield instructor, but he spent the previous two seasons as the White Sox bench coach, ultimately taking over as interim manager for several months while Tony La Russa dealt with a medical issue.

A veteran of 17 big league seasons with nine different organizations from 1996-2012, Cairo was a well-regarded utility infielder who played all around the diamond. He was still a young player when he and Martinez (then nearing the end of his career) were teammates with the then-Devil Rays from 1998-2000 and forged a friendship.

Martinez has spoken highly of Cairo in the past and lobbied for him to get the White Sox’s full-time managerial job after La Russa retired. Chicago instead hired Pedro Grifol for the position, leaving Cairo to find employment with the Mets instead.

Cairo replaces Tim Bogar, who had been part of the Nationals staff since Martinez was hired in 2018, initially as first base coach and then for the last four seasons as bench coach. Club officials have not yet spoken publicly about the reason they chose not to bring back Bogar, third base coach Gary DiSarcina, first base coach Eric Young Jr. or assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler.

The Nats have already filled both base coach openings with in-house candidates, promoting run prevention coordinator Ricky Gutierrez (third base) and special assistant to the general manager Gerardo Parra (first base) as first-time major league coaches. They have not yet replaced Roessler.

Cairo’s hiring was first reported by Metsmerized.