Nationals Reportedly Have 'Shown Interest' in Former Manager of the Year
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The Washington Nationals will officially have a new skipper in the 2026 season.
It was reported that Miguel Cairo -- the team's interim manager after Dave Martinez was dismissed -- was told he is no longer in the running for the permanent position after he was one of the three known candidates who interviewed for the job.
Former Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and Cleveland Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz were the other two who interviewed, although Albernaz is no longer in the running after he was hired by the Orioles to become their new skipper.
Outside of those three, it's not known who else is being considered or if anyone else is in the mix. However, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post (subscription required), gave some insight into some potential new targets of the Nationals.
Nationals Eyeing Rocco Baldelli
In the insider's report, he stated Washington has "shown interest in" the former Minnesota Twins manager. Golden added that Rocco Baldelli declined to comment if he'd interviewed for the job, but it seems like he is a now a name to know in this search.
Baldelli was the sixth overall pick in the 2000 draft and finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting after the 2003 season. His promising playing career was derailed by a rare metabolic/muscular disorder, which led to him retiring at the age of 29.
Since that point, he began his coaching journey, which culminated in him becoming the manager of the Twins in 2019. That year, Minnesota won the AL Central division and 101 games, which earned him the AL Manager of the Year Award.
Baldelli wasn't retained after this past season following back-to-back fourth place finishes in their division. But during his tenure, he won three AL Central titles and made the playoffs in three out of his seven years with the Twins.
Nationals Also Interested in Dodgers Bench Coach Danny Lehmann
He would be a huge name to get for the Nationals, but he's not the only one they are targeting. According to Golden, Los Angeles Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann is the other person Washington has "shown interest in."
Lehmann was drafted by the Twins in the eighth round of the 2008 draft and was a farmhand through the 2013 campaign. After that, he joined the Dodgers as their advance video scout in 2015 until he was promoted to game planning and communications coach in 2018. He became their special assistant in 2019 before going back to being Los Angeles' game planning and communications coach in 2020. He was promoted to bench coach in 2023 under manager Dave Roberts.
Lehmann also didn't comment whether or he had interviewed for Washington's managerial job, but it seems like he is a real target of the Nationals based on the report that he was contacted by Toboni.
