Nationals make Martinez their next manager
The Washington Nationals have agreed to a deal with former Chicago Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez to become their next manager, and are finalizing the details of what will be a three-year deal 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 has never managed before.
Martinez was considered the front-runner to replace Dusty Baker since the Nationals parted ways with the veteran manager last week. The Nationals received permission to discuss the job with Martinez on Mon- day 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, though briefly, and while Washington was also granted permission to speak with New York Mets hitting coach Kevin Long, it remains unclear whether they did so. The Nationals also reached out to Houston Astros bench coach Alex Cora, who was already closing in on a deal to become the next manager of the Boston Red Sox at the time.
Martinez, 53, doesn’t have any managerial experience, and therefore 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, as Matt Williams won the National League Manager of the Year Award and took the Nationals to the playoffs in 2014. Things fell apart shortly thereafter.
Martinez had a decade-long education under Maddon, considered a forward-thinking type with a willingness to buck baseball tradition when needed. How much of Maddon has rubbed off on Martinez remains to be seen, but the Nats’ new manager does have a history of playoff success. The Rays won Major League Baseball’s American League pennant in 2008, and he was a part of the Cubs’ curse-smashing World Series win a year ago. The Cubs advanced to the NLCS in Martinez’s other two seasons with Maddon in Chicago.
Martinez gives the Nationals a different look — a fresher face than Baker or Davey Johnson, but a more relaxed leader than Williams. He is fluent in Spanish, well-versed in advanced analytics and multiple Nationals players have spoken highly of him. Martinez is the third Latino manager in baseball, joining Rick Renteria and Alex Cora.