The Washington Nationals have named bench coach Miguel Cairo as the club’s interim manager after relieving Dave Martinez of his duties July 6 following a weekend sweep by the Boston Red Sox.
Cairo joined Martinez’s staff last season after previously serving as the New York Mets’ minor league coordinator. He does have previous managerial experience in the majors, serving as interim skipper of the Chicago White Sox for the final 34 games of the 2022 season.
Cairo, 51, played 17 seasons in the majors with nine different teams from 1996-2012. He hit .264/.314/.361, mainly as a utility infielder, with 41 career homers and 139 stolen bases.
“Miguel is well-respected in our organization and around baseball,” said interim general manager Mike DeBartolo. “A diligent worker and student of the game, he has a proven track record of showing strong leadership in a variety of situations, and I believe that his voice and energy will serve as a catalyst to our team and our fan base in the second half of the season.”
DeBartolo took over his post when longtime GM Mike Rizzo was let go along with Martinez on July 6 in a major leadership change from the duo who led the Nationals to a World Series title in 2019.
Martinez, 60, was in his eighth season managing the Nationals, who have not had a winning record since their championship 2019 season. They’ve posted 71-91 marks (.438) each of the past two seasons and are currently last in the NL East with a 37-53 record (.411).