Washington Nationals: Meet the 2018 coaches

DAVE MARTINEZ – MANAGER

A decade as Joe Maddon’s bench coach with the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs makes him definitely qualified as a major-league manager.

At 53, Martinez has spent the last decade as the bridesmaid in the interview process despite firm endorsements from his players. That extra experience helped him guide both the Rays and Cubs to the World Series. Although Chicago was loaded with talent when they broke through, Tampa was not.

As far as what he brings to the table in philosophy remains a mystery, he is a student of Maddon. The Nats are a team about to be managed by someone into heavy analytics. From his press opportunities, Martinez is unfailingly positive about motivation.

In that respect, he is similar to the man he replaces in Baker. The strong statistical push and expected odd moves differentiate the two. So do the pay checks.

The learning curve is sharp. Because expectations are high, there is not endless time to adjust. With the division expected to remain weak, Martinez can learn on the fly.

It would not be a surprise if the Nats were a better team in August than April. For the years of learning by Martinez, expect him to hit his stride and excel in the second half.