The Nationals find themselves in the thick of a 10-game losing streak. That's bad enough on its own, but considering that the last five losses have come against the Marlins and Rockies - two of the league's "bottom feeders", to quote Ken Rosenthal - the clock appears to be ticking on the Washington Nationals in 2025.
If that weren't enough, there's controversy sandwiched in the middle of it. Manager Davey Martinez's comments following Saturday's game sent shockwaves locally and nationally. When poor results (which have been ongoing since 2020 at this point) and bad publicity come in tandem, that typically spells the end for the man in charge on the field.
Although there is an important caveat that there are questions about the commitment level of the Lerner family, it appears to be time to not only weigh the pros and cons of moving on from Martinez, but to also consider what other options exist if Mike Rizzo decides to move on from the veteran manager. Here are some that on the surface would appear to be the leaders in the clubhouse - no pun intended.
Maintaining Continuity: Miguel Cairo
Cairo is in his second year as Washington's bench coach (a role that he also held with the Chicago Sox in 2021 and 2022). He also spent most of 2013 through 2020, as well as 2023, as a minor league or front office assistant across multiple organizations, following his 17-year major league playing career as a utility infielder from 1996 through 2012.
Gerardo Parra (first base coach) would likely be a candidate for similar reasons, although his coaching experience is more limited than Cairo's. The same could be said about Sean Doolittle (pitching strategist), who might also make more sense as the pitching coach, if Washington would relieve Jim Hickey from his duties. Aside from the disparity in coaching resumes, it may also be wise to turn the team over to someone like Cairo who is a little bit further removed from the current culture and messaging.
The Nats continue to struggle at the plate, dropping three out of four to the Pirates.
— Nationals on MASN (@masnNationals) April 17, 2025
Miguel Cairo after a series loss to Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/gSYs0dlDrh
Perhaps most importantly, Cairo has served as an interim manager before. It actually was successful too, as he led an underperforming White Sox team to an 18-16 finish in 2022, following the resignation of Tony La Russa.
The Logical Call-Up: Matthew LeCroy
If the team would rather turn to someone with more managerial experience, as opposed to a major league resume, LeCroy would be the obvious choice. Like the prior options, he also had a major league playing career from 2000-07 (including a brief stint in Washington in 2006) as a backup catcher and first baseman.
Speaking towards his track record as a manager, he has led the charge for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings since 2021. Prior to that, he managed Low-A Hagerstown in 2009 and 2010, High-A Potomac in 2011, and Double-A Harrisburg from 2012-13 and 2016-19. Although results have been mixed, so has the player talent level he's been able to work with, and LeCroy has generally been held in high regard internally. LeCroy was also Washington's bullpen coach in 2014 and 2015 under manager Matt Williams.
you're going to the show ❤️ pic.twitter.com/XFGEJux2n1
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 1, 2024
In that regard, Randy Knorr could be a dark horse candidate. Knorr, a former catcher, spent eight seasons as a manager across four levels of Washington's minor league system (including three years in Triple-A). He also spent parts of eight seasons on Washington's big league staff in multiple roles and is currently the minor league catching coordinator.
Connected Media Member: Mark DeRosa
The Twitterverse has enjoyed mentioning DeRosa as an option, and it actually isn't crazy. The former 16-year big league utility player has been a fixture on MLB Network for more than a decade. He was also the manager of Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and will return to this role in 2026.
Aside from the WBC, DeRosa doesn't have a coaching resume, but he checks a lot of boxes that Mike Rizzo likely has laid out. DeRosa is highly respected as a baseball mind and high-character, charismatic person. He also played for the Nationals in 2012, which was one of the best seasons in franchise history, and served as an under the radar clubhouse leader.
If you haven’t yet caught Episode 2 of “The 11th Inning” pod, check it out for some fun reminiscing with former National and MLB Network host Mark DeRosa.
— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) April 2, 2025
Episodes can be listened to anywhere you get your podcasts or on the @Nationals YouTube channel! pic.twitter.com/fw7tfNGMLw
DeRosa is the likely front runner among this group, but the list of current or former analysts on MLB Network typically includes the most viable options among the media.
Less Conventional Options
If Rizzo wants to go out of the box, a few well-known former Nationals who could conceivably be hired in an interim capacity include Daniel Murphy, Ian Desmond, Howie Kendrick, and perhaps Ryan Zimmerman. The odds that any of them would get the job are pretty slim, but we all know how loyal the Washington organization is to their guys. It has also been reported that Jayson Werth is working with former first-round pick Elijah Green at the team's Florida complex
I admittedly don't think any of these options are particularly likely either - at least not until the offseason. Nonetheless, some veteran managers who currently don't have jobs include Dusty Baker, Bud Black, Joe Girardi, Joe Maddon, Don Mattingly and Mike Matheny among others.
What do you think? Who should the Nationals turn as interim manager if they fire Davey Martinez? Or do you think there's no chance of him getting fired during the season. Let me know your thoughts @stephen_newman1 on X.