Baker is out as Nats manager
GM Rizzo decides to make a change after another NLDS loss.
Dusty Baker’s time as the manager of the Washington Nationals is over after two seasons, two NL East titles and zero playoff series victories.
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said he told Baker the news via telephone Friday morning. Baker’s twoyear deal with the club is expiring.
“Our expectations have grown,” Rizzo said during a conference call with reporters. “Winning a lot of regular-season games and winning divisions are not enough. Our goal is to win a world championship and, to that end, we made the decision late last night.”
Rizzo declined to say why he believes Baker can’t help reach that goal.
The GM also wouldn’t offer any specifics about what sort of manager he will be looking for as a replacement. The Nationals will be hiring their sixth manager in a 10-season span.
Rizzo called the split from Baker “a pure baseball decision” and said it was not about an inability to reach a new deal with the skipper.
“This had absolutely nothing to do with negotiations, dollars,” Rizzo said. “It was not a negotiation with Dusty.”
The contracts for the members of Baker’s coaching staff also are finished. The team said it will work with its new manager to fill those positions.
The moves come the week after Washington was eliminated from its NL Division Series against the Chicago Cubs with a 9-8 loss at home in Game 5 — and Baker was front and center during a PR debacle involving whether Stephen Strasburg would pitch in Game 4 of that series. The Nationals were bounced from the postseason in the NLDS round in 2016 against the Los Angeles Dodgers; that one also ended with a Game 5 loss at home by one run.
Baker’s teams have lost 10 consecutive games with a chance to advance in the postseason. His career postseason record as a manager is 23-32.
Despite a host of injuries to key players, including 2015 NL MVP Bryce Harper, the Nationals went 97-65 this season, finishing 20 games out in front in their division.
In all, the 68-year-old has spent 22 seasons as a big league manager, accumulating more than 1,800 regular-season wins with the San Francisco Giants, Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Nationals. Baker also was a player in the majors for 19 years.
Dodgers: Shortstop Corey Seager is expected to be in the lineup for the opener of the World Series after missing the NL Championship Series because of back pain.
Tigers: Ron Gardenhire was hired as manager, bringing the longtime Twins skipper back to the AL Central. Gardenhire, who agreed to a three-year contract, takes over for Brad Ausmus. The Tigers went 64-98 this season, finishing tied for the worst record in the majors. ... Detroit also declined its $16 million option on righthander Anibal Sanchez, who was 3-7 with a 6.41 ERA this season.