Nationals Miss on Managerial Candidate After He Gets Hired by Orioles
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For a while, there wasn't much information out there about what was taking place regarding the open Washington Nationals manager position.
After new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni stated his first priority was to figure out who was going to be the skipper of this team going forward, he instead started putting together his front office in preparation of his first offseason in charge.
But all of that changed when it was revealed that former Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde had interviewed for the job, with another report later sharing that interim skipper Miguel Cairo and Cleveland Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz had also interviewed.
Unfortunately for the Nationals, if they came away impressed by Albernaz during their conversation, then they acted too late to do anything about it. That's because, according to multiple reports including by Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Orioles have hired Albernaz to become their next manager.
The Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a deal to hire Craig Albernaz as manager, sources tell ESPN. Albernaz, 42, was previously associate manager with Cleveland and was a widely sought-after candidate for open managerial jobs. He joins a O's team coming off a 75-87 season.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 27, 2025
Albernaz has an impressive background in coaching, so it's not a surprise he was someone who multiple teams were targeting. However, for Washington, it does hurt to lose him to their Beltway rivals, who, much like them, are trying to figure out a way forward with multiple young players on their big league roster and plenty of star prospects in their pipeline.
In Passan's story, he noted that Albernaz's ability to connect with young players was one of the reasons why he jumped to the top of Baltimore's candidate list. It's hard not to think that's also why the Nationals were interested in him, as well.
But like what happens often when it comes to premier candidates in any job search, the side that moves the quickest normally is able to get something finalized.
What's Next for Nationals in This Managerial Search?
Simply put, Washington just has to keep plugging away and focus on the other candidates they have in the process and those they are interested in bringing into this process. Just because the Orioles hired their next manager, that doesn't mean the Nationals should rush and make their decision.
But with that being said, it's clear they can't sit around forever. There are multiple high-profile openings around Major League Baseball, so putting a real emphasis on getting their open managerial position filled should be the full focus of Toboni going forward.
Information regarding this search will continue to be updated here at Washington Nationals On SI, as one of the most notable job openings has now been filled by someone the team was targeting.
