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Nationals Finalizing Deal to Hire 33-Year-Old Blake Butera as Manager

The Rays-trained development leader would signal Paul Toboni’s youth-driven reset of a rebuilding Washington club.

Overview

  • Reports say Butera would be MLB’s youngest manager since 1972, reflecting an unconventional choice focused on growth and analytics.
  • Butera most recently led the Rays’ player development department and compiled a 258-144 record with two league titles as a minor-league manager.
  • Washington dismissed Dave Martinez and longtime executive Mike Rizzo in July, then installed 35-year-old Paul Toboni as president of baseball operations in late September.
  • The search included interviews with interim skipper Miguel Cairo and Craig Albernaz, with Cairo removed from consideration and Albernaz taking the Baltimore job.
  • The rebuild continues with a young core headlined by James Wood, an ESPN-ranked No. 22 farm system after the 2025 draft, and questions around trade interest in MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams as top prospect Travis Sykora recovers from Tommy John surgery.