The journey to find the next Nationals manager seemed like a smooth ride, but eventually ended with heavy turbulence and a bumpy landing. Did the process expose further problems that interfere with success inside the Nationals organization? Certainly, there are concerns. But did the Nats eventually come away with the exact man to change the culture and lead a return to the postseason? Without a doubt. "Blessed and thankful to be back in the dugout for (the) Nationals and work for this first...

Bud Black is out. Dusty Baker, who was in the on-deck circle for the Braves the night Henry Aaron his 715th home run in April 1974, is in as the Nationals' new manager. It was a bizarre twist given that Black, the former Padres manager, reportedly was going to be the one that replaced Matt Williams. But on Tuesday morning, the Nationals made it official that Baker is their manager. Here's the question: Would Baker been available to the Nationals if the Reds had beaten the Giants in the...

Following the disappointment of a year without playoff baseball in Washington, the Nationals' offseason has gotten off to a rocky start. The team finally hired a manager, announcing a multi-year deal with Dusty Baker after contract talks with Bud Black fell apart, apparently over compensation. The embarrassing situation is the latest for the Nationals after dealing with Jonathan Papelbon and Bryce Harper fighting in the dugout a day after the team was eliminated from the postseason in late...

In a bizarre turn of events, the Nationals hired Dusty Baker as manager this morning, agreeing to terms on a multi-year contract. After a reported deal with Bud Black imploded, general manager Mike Rizzo turned back to Baker, who had seemingly lost out on the job six days ago. Baker's 1,671-1,504 managerial record in the majors ranks him as the 17th-winningest skipper in baseball history. The 66-year-old has been awarded National League Manager of the Year three times (1993, 1997, 2000). Baker...

Though the Nationals were expected to announce this week that they had selected former Padres skipper Bud Black as their new manager, multiple reports tonight suggest that talks between the parties have hit a snag and that the team will move instead to hire Dusty Baker. According to John Heyman of CBSSports.com, the reported deal between the Nats and Black has not been finalized and the team is thought to be turning its attentions to Baker, the former manager of the Giants, Cubs and Reds. Bob...

Bud Black has emerged as the top candidate to land the Nationals' managerial job and could be offered a deal as early as today, according to ESPN's Jim Bowden. Bowden, Washington's former general manager, reports Black is in D.C. for his second meeting with the Nationals. The Washington Post is also reporting that Dusty Baker will interview again with Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo today. After firing first-time manager Matt Williams after a disappointing second season, Rizzo cited...

The Nationals began interviewing candidates for their managerial opening days after general manager Mike Rizzo relieved Matt Williams of his duties on Oct. 5. Since then, seven different candidates are known to have met with Rizzo and members of the Nationals brass about leading a roster believed to still be a World Series contender in 2016. Here is a look at each candidate and their chances of securing the Nationals job: 1. Dusty Baker, veteran manager: The former three-time National League...

After firing first-time manager Matt Williams following numerous late-inning strategic mistakes, it may have caused some head scratching when Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo included the likes of Diamondbacks third base coach Andy Green and Triple-A skipper Phil Nevin in the ongoing managerial search. Green and Nevin, along with other Rizzo interviewees Giants bench coach Ron Wotus and Dodgers bench coach Tim Wallach, don't have any background managing at the major league level,...

I have been told the Nationals are interviewing a lot more candidates this time around for their vacant managerial position. Many have thought the announcement would be made after the World Series, but the Mariners did not waste any time or follow that protocol with the hiring of Angels assistant general manager Scott Servais to replace Lloyd McClendon. Will the vacancy in Los Angeles make Dusty Baker a hotter commodity? His name has been mentioned around Chavez Ravine. Would that make the...

Well, the parade has begun. Just not the one Bryce Harper envisioned when he uttered, "Where's my ring?" and thought hopefully of what a Constitution Avenue celebration might look like. The procession of potential candidates to replace the fired Matt Williams as manager of the Nationals is under way on South Capitol Street. Well, we assume the candidates are interviewing at the team's Nationals Park offices. The way the Nationals are handling this managerial search is so surreptitious that...

It appears that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo is focusing his attention on a few veteran managers in his next wave of interviews for the Nats' vacancy. "We feel that where we're at in our timetable of winning a championship, we certainly would lean toward someone that has some type of managerial experience, especially at the major league level," Rizzo said last week. "But, again, we're going to be open-minded and look for the best candidate that we can that allows us to win a...

Catcher Kurt Suzuki loves being a part of a game like Friday night. He worked with his pitcher, Jordan Zimmermann, as the right-hander allowed a leadoff single by Xavier Paul in the third inning and nothing else in a 1-0 complete-game shutout for the Nationals. Suzuki had a feeling early on that Zimmermann could do this. It was Zimmermann's second complete game of the year, matching his effort April 15 at Miami. "You can kind of tell," Suzuki said. "It was similar to the game in Miami....

Nationals outfielder Xavier Nady was hoping for the call Friday. Just like he was hoping for a call few months back when the Nationals called him to spring training. With the team struggling to get anything off of Reds starter Bronson Arroyo, the door opened slightly when lefty and former Nationals' property Bill Bray was called on to pitch with one out in the bottom of the eighth and Cincinnati leading, 1-0. Manager Davey Johnson had selected left-handed batter Chad Tracy to face Arroyo....