The Washington Nationals have been the subject of a lot of pressing topics so far in the 2025 season in some capacity, as the organization is in the midst of undergoing a ton of dramatic change. They were one of several teams that needed a new manager heading into the 2026 season and beyond, and luckily they were able to address it early.
While other teams have gone in other directions than the Nationals did, who hired the youngest big league manager in over 50 years with Blake Butera, some of those other teams are taking some big risks in their own right. One of those teams specifically who is taking a bit of a risk with their new skipper is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
They hired former Nationals catcher and 2019 World Series Champion Kurt Suzuki to lead their club, however they only gave him a 1-year deal, which is very unorthodox in today's day and age. Suzuki will be under a lot of pressure right away to help the Angels win, which has been a tough task for a lot of their previous managers.
However, Suzuki recently went out and made another familiar hire to Nationals fans in order to bolster his chances of surviving longer than 1 season in Los Angeles. As of just a few days ago in a piece of news that likely flew under the radar to most fans, Suzuki hired former Nationals outfielder Adam Eaton to be his team's first base coach for the upcoming season.
Since retiring from the big leagues a few years ago, Eaton has been serving as the Director of Player Development for the Michigan State University baseball team, a role which he appeared to enjoy by all accounts. However, with one of his good buddies in need, Eaton will pack his bags and head out west to join Suzuki in hopes they get the opportunity to make Los Angeles their long-term home beyond just this season.
Eaton was a beloved player during his tenure with the Nationals, and it will be cool to see him back on a big league diamond, albeit in a new capacity than which we last saw him. Additionally, Eaton will be serving as an outfield instructor for the Angels, which should also be a good role as Eaton was always pretty well regarded for his defensive chops, as he once was one of the best defensive outfielders in the league.
What do you think of Adam Eaton joining Kurt Suzuki's staff in Los Angeles? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.