Washington Nationals must begin to hire coaching staff

With a manager now in place, the Washington Nationals must begin to put together their coaching staff before it is too late.

When the Washington Nationals surprisingly decided to part ways with Dusty Baker, they also lost the entire coaching staff. Now that the Nats have named Dave Martinez their new manager, they must begin to hire coaches before it is too late.

After the regular season ended, coaches began to lose their jobs, becoming available for other teams to hire. In addition to the Nats’ coaching staff, Chris Bosio and Jim Hickey were among the notable coaches to be dismissed.

Unfortunately for the Nats, Bosio is reportedly close to being named the Tigers pitching coach and Hickey has been named the Cubs pitching coach. There’s two big names that are already off the board.

Despite the fact that the Nats’ 2017 coaching staff has been dismissed, Martinez could still invite them back. This would not be unprecedented, as Rick Schu and Bob Henley were holdovers from Matt Williams‘ staff to Baker’s staff.

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However, the Nats’ former coaches have already begun to be hired elsewhere. After the Cardinals dismissed Hickey as their pitching coach, they hired former Nats pitching coach Mike Maddux. Retaining Maddux was reportedly a priority for the Nats, but they failed to do so.

Of course, Mike Rizzo and the other Nats executives want to give Martinez the freedom to choose his own coaching staff, but it would be beneficial to have some consistency. The Nats are ready to win now, but too much turnover could be detrimental.

Of the other former Nats coaches, Bob Henley is the most likely to return. Including playing for the Montreal Expos, Henley has spent 27 seasons in the organization, and knows it from top to bottom.

Henley managed the Gulf Coast League Expos in 2003 before graduating through the organization and eventually becoming the Nats’ third base coach, a role he has held since 2014. With his knowledge of the organization and managerial experience, he could be a huge asset on Martinez’s coaching staff.

None of the other coaches from the major league staff are likely to return in 2018. Bench coach Chris Speier has worked alongside Dusty Baker for eight seasons and is 67, so he is unlikely to return.

First base coach Davey Lopes is also unlikely to return. He is 72, so his coaching days are likely coming to an end, but he could be a valuable asset if Martinez invites him back. However, he was brought in by Baker, so he may not want to come back.

Finally, hitting coaches Rick Schu and Jacque Jones are unlikely to return. While it may not be fair, Schu has received some of the blame for the Nats’ poor offensive performance in the NLDS.

Jones has also likely seen the last of his days with the Nats. He was beloved by the players as an assistant hitting coach, but was suspended for the NLDS due to a lawsuit.

Of the available coaches, Dave Righetti stands out. Righetti has spent the last 18 seasons as the San Francisco Giants pitching coach, so he is extremely experienced, but was recently re-assigned to a front office role. If he wants to remain a pitching coach, he could be a great fit with the Nats.

Righetti has also been working alongside future Hall of Fame manager Bruce Bochy for the last 11 seasons, so he has undoubtedly observed how to successfully run a team. Finally, Righetti was both a starter and reliever during his playing career, so he understands both roles. If he is open to possibly leaving the Giants, the Nats should get him on the phone immediately.

Next: Dave Martinez the right choice

Now that the Nats have officially named Dave Martinez their next manager, they must put together his coaching staff. Some qualified coaches have already begun to find new jobs, so the Nats must act quickly before it is too late. While coaches rarely win games, they can often lose them.

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