An Intriguing Name Was Floated as Who Could Become Next Nationals Manager
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After the Washington Nationals hired Paul Toboni as their president of baseball operations, there is a lot of work for the 35-year-old to do when it comes to getting things set up for next season.
One decision that has to be made is who will be his manager in 2026. Currently, Miguel Cairo is the interim manager after taking over when the Nationals fired Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo in July. With no decision yet made on his future, there is one name that could be interesting when it comes to the position.
Toboni wants to create a “player development monster” in Washington with a young prospect core in place. If that is indeed the case, then former Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde could be the answer as the next manager in the nation's capital, according to Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic (subscription required).
Brandon Hyde as the Next Nationals Manager Makes Sense
Again, no decision has been made by Toboni on Cairo’s future, but if he is looking for someone to develop a young, talented core of prospects, Hyde just might be the answer.
“Hyde’s player development background in overseeing the Orioles from rebuilding to a division title in 2023 may be attractive to younger teams like the Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies, though Colorado won’t even begin the process of interviewing managerial candidates until it hires someone to lead baseball operations. Washington’s hiring of Paul Toboni as president of baseball operations gives that job more gravitas. The changeover means the club won’t necessarily rotate away from another first-time manager after Dave Martinez was dismissed in July,’’ Ghiroli wrote.
Hiring Hyde would make sense after he took over a similar situation in Baltimore. And during his time with the Orioles, he was able to get them to the point where they won the loaded American League East division in 2023.
It won’t be easy to do the same thing in the National League East with the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves and New York Mets all loaded with win-now rosters, but baseball is a game with a ton of randomness, so never say never.
When Hyde took over Baltimore in 2019 with a young core in place, they won 54 games. Three years later, they won 84 games. Then in 2023, they won 101 and then 91 in 2024. It was a turnaround that not many people outside of the organization saw coming.
Toboni may just decide to keep Cairo, but if he doesn’t, there are plenty of options available with so many job openings this cycle. Hyde’s history of developing young talent and turning them into a contender in a difficult division should not keep him unemployed too long.
This might be the time for the Nationals to pounce on a proven developer and winner.
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Scott Roche has covered both college and professional sports for nearly three decades for various outlets. Scott has covered the MLB, NHL, and college sports and he is someone always looking for a good rumor, no matter which sport it is.