Nationals agree to three-year deal to make Dave Martinez their next manager
Davey Martinez is the new manager of the Washington Nationals. The Cubs bench coach agreed to a three-year deal with an option for a fourth. (Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post)
The Washington Nationals have agreed to a deal with Chicago Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez to become their next manager. The team is finalizing a three-year contract with an option for a fourth, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Martinez has served as Joe Maddon’s bench coach in Chicago and Tampa Bay for a decade but will be a first-time manager.
Martinez was considered the front-runner to replace Dusty Baker since the Nationals parted ways with the veteran manager last week. The club received permission to discuss the job with him Monday and he interviewed in Washington on Thursday, a lengthy process that included dinner with ownership. The Nationals also interviewed former Boston Red Sox Manager John Farrell on Friday and were also granted permission to speak with New York Mets hitting coach Kevin Long. It is unclear whether the team actually interviewed Long, however.
The Nationals reached out to Houston Astros bench coach Alex Cora, who was already closing in on a deal to become the next manager of the Red Sox at the time, and also made at least a cursory inquiry about former New York Yankees Manager Joe Girardi, according to a person with knowledge of the process, but the two sides never met or scheduled an interview.
Martinez, 53, represents a stark departure from Baker, who was the winningest active manager when his Nationals tenure ended. Martinez will be the Nationals’ second rookie manager in five seasons; Matt Williams won the National League Manager of the Year Award and took the Nationals to the playoffs in 2014 but things fell apart in his second season and he was fired after missing the playoffs in…
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