The Washington Nationals have hired their next manager, but it is not somebody whose name has been out there. Paul Toboni has decided to hire 33 year old Blake Butera to be the next manager of the Washington Nationals. He will be the youngest big league manager in over 50 years.
This is a very interesting and on brand hire for Paul Toboni. All of his hires so far have been young, and this is no different. There was an idea that Toboni may lean on a more experienced voice as manager, but he did just the opposite, hiring Butera.
Despite his tender age, Butera has a lot of experience managing in the Minor Leagues. Butera was a two-time Minor League manager of the year in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. He was also the bench coach for team Italy in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Over the last couple years, Butera has been the senior director of player development for the Tampa Bay Rays. Clearly, he knows what it takes to help develop young players. However, this is a bit of a risky and outside the box hire for Toboni. He is swinging for the fences though, which I love.
It is a major departure from what the Nationals have had in the past. They have replaced a leadership group that was in their 60’s and replaced it with guys in their 30’s. I am very curious with how the 33 year old chooses his staff. He will need more experience on the bench.
Butera has the potential to be an up and coming managerial star. However, he is going to need a strong staff around him to help out. As a young guy, he will need to gain the trust of the players. If he gets that, his relativity could be a major strength.
I am fascinated by this hire and will dive deeper once we get more information. Welcome to Washington, DC Blake Butera and good luck!
