Nationals interview Farrell for manager

WASHINGTON The Washington Nationals interviewed former Red Sox manager John Farrell for their vacant managerial position on Friday morning. They also hosted Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez on Thursday night. The full extent of their candidate list remains unclear.

If the Nationals are seeking a manager to win them a World Series, as Mike Rizzo articulated in the aftermath of Dusty Baker’s departure, Farrell is one of the two obvious candidates with a title to his name.

His former American League East rival, Joe Girardi, is the other. The Nationals were unsure of the veteran’s interest in managing as of Friday morning.

Except for Girardi, Farrell is the most obvious veteran candidate for the position, and has the 2013 World Series win with Boston to his name.

But the 55-year-old comes with baggage (reports of an inappropriate relationship with a Boston area reporter) and the spectre of having reportedly lost the respect of the Red Sox clubhouse in recent months. He was fired on Oct. 11 after the Red Sox lost in an AL Division Series for the second year in a row.

Martinez still seems to be the front-runner, in part because he represents a departure from what the Nationals had in Baker. He is young and inexperienced, and will therefore come at a lower cost and require less commitment than a big name such as Girardi.