UPDATE: The Nats will interview Ron Wotus on Monday, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
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UPDATE: Ron Gardenhire and Dusty Baker are also expected to interview with the Nationals, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
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The Washington Nationals endured a disastrous season under manager Matt Williams and now the team is searching for a new skipper after dismissing him last week. Rumors indicate there is one candidate who has already interviewed for the job, two who have been granted interviews and one the Nats are interested in interviewing.
Phil Nevin, who is regarded as a popular managerial candidate this offseason, has already interviewed with Washington, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports. Nevin served as manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate for the past two seasons and is now garnering interest from the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and Miami Marlins this offseason.
As for those the Nats plan to interview, Alex Cora and Bud Black are expected to meet with the team in the near future. FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported the rumblings on Cora while Nightengale reported did the same with Black.
Cora currently serves as an analyst for Baseball Tonight. He retired after the 2011 season, which, coincidentally, he spent with Washington. He has no coaching experience, but played 14 MLB seasons with the Dodgers, Indians, Red Sox, Mets, Rangers and Nationals. As for Black, the longtime Padres skipper was fired after a 32-33 start with the team this year. He was replaced by the organization's Triple-A manager Pat Murphy, who was fired at the end of the season as well. Black owns a 649-713 record in nine years managing of the Padres.
While those candidates have their meetings with Washington set in stone, San Francisco Giants' bench coach Ron Wotus is another candidate on general manager Mike Rizzo's radar, according to James Wagner of the Washington Post.
"The Nationals have also shown interest in Wotus, who has been the Giants' well-respected bench coach since 1999, serving under managers Felipe Alou, Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy," Wagner writes. "Under Bochy as his right-hand man, Wotus has been an integral part of the Giants teams that won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014, which included an NLDS toppling of the Nationals.
"Wotus, 54, is known for his personality, communication skills, infield coaching, and ability to blend old and new baseball ideas such as defensive shifts. The Connecticut native had brief stints as a major league infielder with the Pirates in 1983 and 1984. He managed in the Giants' minor leagues from 1991 to 1997, twice winning manager of the year awards. He became a major league coach in 1998 under Baker."
After Rizzo dismissed Williams the GM said that "communication in the clubhouse, communication within the coaching staff, is vital," when speaking of the qualities the team's next manager should possess. It's well known that such a coaching philosophy is omnipresent within the Giants' organization, as Bochy surrounds himself with like-minded coaches.
Black is also regarded as a good communicator, so keep an eye out for Wotus and Black to be the frontrunners here due to the lack of MLB experience on behalf of Nevin and Cora.
