The Nationals will seek changes to their managerial role and coaching staff for the 2026 season.
Interim manager Miguel Cairo was among those who have interviewed for the manager position, but he is no longer in consideration, per a source.
Additionally, bench coach Henry Blanco, hitting coach Darnell Coles, pitching coach Jim Hickey, first-base coach Gerardo Parra, third-base coach Ricky Gutierrez and bullpen coach Ricky Bones will not return to the Nationals’ staff next season, unless they are chosen by the new manager.
The club has not confirmed the news, which was first reported by The Washington Post.
“I don’t like losing, but I’m always going to be proud of the group of guys in the clubhouse because they fight every day,” Cairo said following the last game of the season. “No matter what the situation or the circumstances, they fight every single day.”
Blanco was the longest-tenured member of the Nationals’ coaching staff. He was hired as a bullpen coach in November 2017, ascended to catching and strategy coach and became the bench coach in July when Cairo was named interim manager. This offseason, Blanco is managing the Bravos de Margarita in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, where Bones is also the team’s pitching coach.
The Nationals hired Hickey in October 2020 and Coles and Bones the following season. In ‘23, they added Gutierrez as a run prevention coordinator and promoted him to third-base coach in ‘24. Nationals World Series champion Parra became the first-base coach in November 2023 following two seasons as a special assistant to the GM.
The Braves, Padres, Twins and Rockies also are looking to fill managerial vacancies. The Rangers (Skip Schumaker), Angels (Kurt Suzuki), Giants (Tony Vitello) and Orioles (Craig Albernaz) already have made new managerial hires this month.
“I think it’s one variable to consider, but it’s definitely not everything,” Toboni said earlier this month of candidates needing to have Major League managerial experience. “There have been plenty of managers or head coaches across sports that have had success in their first time in the job. There have also been managers and head coaches across sports that have failed the first time, and then they get a second chance and they do really well. So it’s something to consider; by no means is it the end-all.”
