The Washington Nationals have appointed bench coach Miguel Cairo as the club’s interim manager after relieving Dave Martinez of his duties on July 6, following a weekend sweep by the Boston Red Sox. Cairo joined Martinez’s staff last season after previously serving as the minor league coordinator for the New York Mets. He has prior managerial experience in Major League Baseball, having served as the interim manager for the Chicago White Sox during the final 34 games of the 2022 season.
At 51 years old, Cairo has played 17 seasons in the majors with nine different teams from 1996 to 2012. He has a career batting average of .264 with an on-base percentage of .314 and a slugging percentage of .361. Throughout his career, he hit 41 home runs and stole 139 bases, primarily as a utility infielder.
MUST READS
“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 assumed his position after longtime General Manager Mike Rizzo was dismissed, along with Manager Davey Martinez, on July 6. This marked a significant leadership change for the Nationals, who had previously won the World Series in 2019 under Rizzo and Martinez. Martinez, 60, was in his eighth season as the Nationals’ manager. Since their championship run in 2019, the team has struggled to achieve a winning record. They finished with 71-91 records (.438) in each of the past two seasons and are currently in last place in the NL East with a record of 37-53 (.411).
This is a story that is developing, and we will stay on it.
