The Washington Nationals named bench coach Miguel Cairo their interim manager after Dave Martinez was fired on Sunday.
The decision was announced by interim general manager Mike DeBartolo, who took over his role when general manager Mike Rizzo also was fired on Sunday.
Cairo was reportedly hesitant to take over for Martinez and asked for some time to ponder the opportunity. The club reportedly considered Triple-A manager Matthew LeCroy on an interim basis.
“Miguel is well-respected in our organization and around baseball,” DeBartolo said in a news release Monday. “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.”
Cairo, 51, finished the 2022 season as the Chicago White Sox manager after Tony La Russa stepped aside because of an undisclosed medical condition. The White Sox went 18-16 down the stretch but failed to reach the playoffs.
A native of Venezuela, Cairo played 17 seasons in the major leagues for nine different clubs, none of which were the Nationals. He was a career .264 hitter with 41 home runs and 394 RBIs in 1,490 games.
Martinez helped Washington win the 2019 World Series in his second year as manager, with a 500-622 record in 7 1/2 seasons.
DeBartolo was serving as assistant general manager before he was moved into the interim GM spot Sunday. DeBartolo, who has a background in analytics, started in the Nationals’ front office in 2012.
The Nationals headed into play Monday 37-53 and last place in the National League East, 16 games out of first.
Washington has MLB’s second-worst record since the start of 2020 at 325-473. Only the Colorado Rockies have been worse.
–Field Level Media
