Washington Nationals Name Dusty Baker Manager
In an overnight shocker, the Washington Nationals have hired Dusty Baker to be the franchise’s sixth manager in their history. The Nats will be the fourth different team that Baker has managed, joining the Giants, Cubs, and Reds. According to James Wagner of the Washington Post, it is a multi-year deal:
Actually, and now it's official: Baker will be the Nats sixth manager in history. He gets "a multi-year" deal.
— James Wagner (@ByJamesWagner) November 3, 2015
It was a surprise that the 66-year-old ended up being the choice because it was reported former Padres’ manager Bud Black was going to be the manager, but talks had broken down between the two sides because of the contract offer:
From me and @barrysvrluga, via sources: Nats chose Black on Wednesday, first offer left him "deeply offended," talks crumbled by Saturday.
— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) November 3, 2015
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Baker hasn’t been a manager since 2013, but everywhere he has gone, his teams win. Back in 2002, his Giants were one win away from a World Series title before losing to the Angels. One year later, he took the Cubs to the NLCS in his first season. After his time with the Cubs, Baker won two division titles with the Reds (2010 and 2012) in six years. The three-time manager of the year has a lifetime winning percentage of .526 in 20 years as manager.
After all of the dysfunction that occurred during the regular season, this search ended up being dysfunctional as well. Baker was the second choice after Black did not like the contract he was being offered. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the original offer didn’t give much job security:
The #Nats official offer to Bud Black: one year, $1.6 million. Really. https://t.co/PFPPlX8PxK
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 3, 2015
In a press release sent out by the team this morning, Managing Principal Owner Theodore Lerner talked about why they felt Baker was right for the job:
“We were looking for a manager to help us achieve our ultimate goal of competing for a World Series Championship. During our broad search process we met with many qualified candidates, and ultimately it was clear Dusty’s deep experience was the best fit for our ballclub.”
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The Nationals were looking for an experienced manager throughout this process, so the hiring of Baker is a good choice for that requirement. Nevertheless, it is a surprise the organization was willing to offer Black only one year if he was the first choice for the position. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post did report last night that Black was offered two years with team options at one point, but Black was looking for more job security than that as he tries to get back into managing.
Next: Nats In Talk With Baker For Manager Position
It will be interesting to see whom Baker selects to be on his staff, but the one thing you know about Baker is that he brings winning and credibility to the clubhouse. Baker gets to manage another superstar in Bryce Harper and has the talent in place to win in DC. Despite some dysfunction, the Nats have their manager and now can proceed to addressing the holes on their roster this winter.