The Washington Nationals are finalizing a deal to hire Blake Butera as their next manager, according to reports.
The Nationals have been searching for a new manager since firing Dave Martinez back in July and have landed on Butera, despite his relatively limited experience.
Butera spent four years in Minor League Baseball before taking on managerial roles with the Hudson Valley Renegades and, most recently, the Charleston RiverDogs.
According to reports, Butera’s teams went 82-38 and 88-44 during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, winning back-to-back league championships along the way.
Should the deal go through, the 33-year-old will become the youngest manager in the MLB since the Minnesota Twins hired Frank Quilici in 1972.
Butera was also previously the senior player development manager for the Tampa Bay Rays, having been drafted by the side in the 35th round back in 2015.
The Washington Nationals are finalizing a deal to hire Blake Butera as their next manager
The Nationals had been searching for a new manager after firing Dave Martinez back in July
He spent two seasons playing for the Rays before later transitioning to coaching, which even saw him venture to the Dominican Winter League at one point.
The Nationals fired previous manager Dave Martinez and GM Mike Rizzo in a stunning move back in July. They ended up finishing the season with a 66-96 record.
In a statement released at the time, Managing Principal Owner Mark Lerner said: ‘On behalf of our family and the Washington Nationals organization, I first and foremost want to thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and our city.
‘Our family is eternally grateful for their years of dedication to the organization, including their roles in bringing a World Series trophy to Washington, D.C.
‘While we are appreciative of their past successes, the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be.
‘This is a pivotal time for our Club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward.’
Former Boston Red Sox assistant general manager Paul Toboni was hired as president of baseball operations to replace Rizzo in late September.
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