The Nationals hired Dave Martinez as manager. He will receive a three-year contract with a club option for a fourth year. It was first reported yesterday that the move was likely.
Martinez, 53, spent nine seasons working as a spring training instructor, bench coach and defensive coordinator for the Rays. He has been lauded as a managerial candidate in recent years, but was passed over for openings on the Rays, Cubs, Astros, White Sox, Blue Jays, Indians and, during an earlier vacancy, the Nationals. Joe Maddon brought him with him to the Cubs as his bench coach prior to the 2015 season.
Martinez step into a good situation, as the Nats are a win-now team with gobs of talent. There will be a lot of pressure on him from the get-go, however, due to the high expectations which got Dusty Baker fired despite a 97-win season and due to the fact that Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy are both due to become free agents after 2018.
