The Washington Nationals are on the verge of finalizing a deal to bring on board Blake Butera as their next manager, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
At 33 years of age, Butera is set to become the youngest manager in the MLB in more than 50 years.
Butera has managed in the minor leagues for four seasons and also spent one year as a minor league coach within the Tampa Bay Rays’ system. In October 2023, he was named the Rays’ senior director of player development after serving as an assistant field coordinator for one year. Butera played college baseball at Boston College and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 35th round of the 2015 MLB draft. He played for two seasons before transitioning into a coaching role.
The Nationals have been on a quest for a new manager after parting ways with Dave Martinez and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo in July. Rizzo and Martinez led the Nats to a World Series victory in 2019, but Washington has finished no higher than fourth place in their division since then.
Who is Blake Butera?
Blake Butera has held several positions within the Rays organization, and he most recently served as Tampa Bay’s senior director of player development for the past two seasons. At 33 years old, Butera will become the youngest manager since Frank Quilici, who was hired by the Minnesota Twins in 1972 at the age of 33.