Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
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Things continue to heat up for the Nationals in their managerial search as more and more candidates appear to be competing for the job. Earlier today, we discussed the Nationals’ reported interest in former Reds manager Dusty Baker. Now, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson kicks off our Daily with yet another candidate the team is expected to interview.
As Ladson notes, the Nationals are planning to interview former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire for the job. Gardener joins Baker, Alex Cora, Phil Nevin, Cal Ripken Jr., and others who are reportedly on the Nationals’ radar this winter.
Gardenhire is one of the more experienced candidates for the job. He managed the Twins for 13 years, posting a 1068-1039 record and guiding Minnesota to the postseason six times. It’s well known that experience is one of the most important qualities the Nationals are considering in managerial candidates, and Gardenhire certainly fits the bill in that regard.
According to Ladson, the Nationals could interview Gardenhire next week. Despite all the names that have already surfaced in the team’s managerial search, it’s unlikely that general manager Mike Rizzo is done looking for his next manager. Look for several more names to pop up in rumors in the coming days and weeks. As we get deeper into the offseason, the picture should start to get more clear as to who the Nationals are actually considering for the job.
Also in today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s James Wagner continues his positional review series with an interesting piece on the Nationals’ infield.
Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
Nats expected to interview Baker, Gardenhire
WASHINGTON — The Nationals are expected to interview Dusty Baker and Ron Gardenhire for the managerial opening, according to two baseball sources. The job became available after Matt Williams was relieved of his duties last week.
Baker, who is currently an analyst for TBS during the postseason, could interview for the position as early as Wednesday. Gardenhire could interview sometime next week. Both Baker and Gardenhire have a wealth of managerial experience, which is something the team wants. Read full article here.
Nationals positional review, part 3: The infield
(James Wagner, Washington Post)
Each day this week, we’ll be taking stock of every Nationals positional group. In Part 3 of 5 today, we’ll analyze the infield. Part 1 is on the rotationand Part 2 on the bullpen.
Season Review
The Nationals traded Tyler Clippard for Yunel Escobar, hoping the veteran shortstop’s high contact bat would fit in the lineup if he could learn to play second base. But Escobar missed three weeks of spring training because of an oblique strain, and Anthony Rendon suffered a knee injury that turned out to be more serious than initially thought.
So the Nationals asked Escobar to learn yet another new position, third base. Escobar’s hitting (.314 and a .790 OPS, his best offensive season since 2009) and durability (139 games) proved crucial for a team that battled injuries and offensive inconsistency in the first half. Read full article here.
Next: Washington Nationals News: Dusty Baker Interviews For Managerial Position