The Washington Nationals are finalizing a deal to hire Blake Butera as head coach, sources told ESPN on Thursday, which would make him the youngest manager in the majors in more than half a century.
According to ESPN Insights, Butera, 33, will become the Minnesota Twins' youngest head coach since Frank Qualic was hired in 1972.
The Nationals fired general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez in July as their rebuild following their 2019 World Series victory stalled. Former Boston Red Sox assistant general manager Paul Toboni was hired as president of baseball operations in late September, replacing Rizzo, and Washington's search for a manager ended up with an unlikely candidate in Butera.
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Butera, who served as the senior director of player development for the Tampa Bay Rays, spent four seasons coaching in the minor leagues (the first at age 25), compiling a 258-144 record and four first-place finishes. In his final two seasons in Low-A Charleston, Butera's teams compiled a 170-82 record and won the league championship.
Butera's experience isn't limited to the Rays, who drafted him in the 35th round in 2015 out of Boston College, where he played four years and served as a team captain. Before transitioning to coaching, he played two seasons with Tampa Bay, spent one year as quality control coach for Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League, and served as Italy's bench coach in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
With a mastery of advanced metrics and a detail-oriented approach that has made Rays staff coveted by other teams, Butera is viewed in the industry as a manager of the future. His combination of management and player development experience attracted the Nationals, who hired Toboni, 35, making them their youngest head of baseball operations.
It's expected to take years for Washington to get back on track in the National League East. While the Nationals have franchise players like outfielder James Wood, the team plans to ask if they would trade left-hander MacKenzie Gore, who is two years away from becoming a free agent, and shortstop C.J. Abrams, who will hit the open market after the 2028 season.
After selecting Oklahoma State prep shortstop Eli Willetts with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, the Nationals' farm system ranks 22nd in MLB. Washington State's top pitcher, Travis Sykora, underwent Tommy John surgery in July and is expected to miss most of the 2026 season.