Report: Nationals now leaning toward hiring Dusty Baker as manager
The offseason isn’t even a day old and we already have our first controversy. The Washington Nationals have reportedly reached out to Dusty Baker, and will make him an offer to be their next manager, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.
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Last week, it was reported that the club would hire Bud Black to fill the position. That may no longer be the case. The Nationals have apparently run into contract issues with Black, which is why he has yet to be announced by the club.
Those contract issues have caused things to spiral out of control, and now the Nationals aren’t even negotiating with Black anymore.
Negotiations with the #Nats and Bud Black are over. They never came close to an agreement. #Nats now are in talks with Dusty Baker.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 3, 2015
If hired, it would be Baker’s first job since he was fired from the Cincinnati Reds in 2013. Over his career, Baker has compiled a .526 winning percentage over 20 seasons as a manager. He’s reached the playoffs seven times, including a World Series appearance with the San Francisco Giants in 2002. Baker has also been named the Manager of the Year three times during his career.
Baker is considered an old school manager. He’s not exactly known for embracing advanced metrics, though he’s regarded as a strong clubhouse manager. As Heyman points out, Baker has dealt with strong personalities, like Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds, over his career, so he should be able to handle a Nationals clubhouse that completely imploded last season.
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Baker also comes with a bit of a stigma. Detractors are quick to point out his overuse of both Kerry Wood and Mark Prior when he was with the Chicago Cubs. Both pitchers were overworked in 2003, and many blame Baker for their injury-riddled careers.
That history is concerning, but it’s worth it to note that those issues happened 12 years ago, and that Baker didn’t overwork his pitchers when he was with the Reds. For any Nationals fans worried about Stephen Strasburg or Lucas Giolito throwing a million pitches before their arms completely detach from their bodies, those concerns might be slightly overblown.
Lineup construction could be a slight concern. Baker did insist on hitting Zack Cozart high in the order in Cincinnati despite the fact that Cozart isn’t a good hitter, and doesn’t get on base. That’s something Nationals fans may need to worry about.
It seems as though Baker has been out of the game for quite some time, but that’s not exactly the case. Whether he’s successful in Washington depends on a couple things. Can Baker manage a clubhouse that was an utter mess under Matt Williams last season? And is he willing to adapt his managerial style to something slightly new school?
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One of those things seems like a certainty. The other remains a huge question. The Nationals will undoubtedly get a better manager than Williams in the clubhouse in Baker, but a repeat of Williams’ on the field tactics could be a concern.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
