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3Bplay · 11-08-2025, 02:37 PM

MLB NEWS WIRE
Nats hire youngest manager since 1972; three vacancies remain plus open Rox PBO role

By MLB.com staff
11/02/2025

10/27 -- Orioles to hire Albernaz: Baltimore has finalized a contract with Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz to become their new manager, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. Jon Morosi also reported a bit prior to that, that Albernaz was the front-runner for the position.

A holdover from Terry Francona's staff in Cleveland, Albernaz took over as the team's bench coach in 2024 with newcomer Stephen Vogt's staff, and added the title of 'associate manager' in 2025. He replaces interim Tony Mansolino, who did a respectable job after the team axed Brandon Hyde roughly a quarter of the way into the 2025 season after a 15-28 start.

Mansolino, previously the team's third base coach, is not expected to be retained on the new staff along with hitting coach Cody Asche and assistant Sherman Johnson. President of Baseball Operations/GM Mike Elias put out a statement regarding the hiring of Albernaz.

“We are elated to welcome Craig Albernaz as the next manager of the Orioles and our leader on the field,” Elias’s statement reads. “Craig has built an exemplary career across multiple successful organizations and brings a tremendous amount of experience, knowledge, and talent to our organization and to this new challenge. We believe he is the right person at the right time to elevate our baseball operations and guide our team back to the playoffs and a World Series Championship.”

Albernaz, who is expected to be introduced as the team's manager on November 4th, also put out a statement of his own.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to join the storied Baltimore Orioles organization,” Albernaz’s statement read. “This is a tremendous honor, and I’m grateful to Mike Elias and the entire Orioles team for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading this talented club.”

Where does this leave the other candidates for the Orioles' job? Albert Pujols is looking more and more likely to be named the Padres' new manager in the coming days. Others like Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, Royals third base coach Vance Wilson, and even a long-shot candidate like former Buck Showalter were reportedly considered, but ultimately passed on.

10/30 -- Twins, Shelton reunite as he returns to Minneapolis: A former assistant in Minnesota before taking the Pirates job prior to the 2020 season, Derek Shelton is back in Minnesota, but this time as the manager.

He's the 15th manager in team history, but only the fifth since 1986. Rocco Baldelli was let go following a 72-90 season that saw them go through a firesale at the deadline and ultimately falling out of the race soon after that.

Shelton has a tough job ahead of him in 2026, but does have a few cornerstones to build around in pitchers Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan, outfielder Byron Buxton, and first baseman Kody Clemens.

“Derek brings a tremendous amount of experience from his many years coaching and managing at the Major League level,” Twins president, baseball & business operations Derek Falvey said in a statement. “He cares deeply about this community and our fans, and he’s genuinely driven to take on the challenge of bringing winning baseball back to Minnesota. We’ve seen firsthand the trust and respect he earns from players and how he helps them reach their best.

"His journey, through both the successes and the tough stretches, has given him real perspective as a leader. That balance and his connection to what this place means to people will serve our players and staff well as we work to build something lasting for our fans and for Minnesota," the statement went on to read.

Shelton, a former bench coach in Minnesota, was a finalist for the job in 2019 prior to the organization turning to Baldelli to take over the role. He then served that one year under Baldelli before going to the Pirates, where he won just 306 games in five-plus seasons.

10/31 -- Nationals raise eyebrows with managerial hire: New Nationals baseball ops chief Paul Toboni is only thirty-five, and is one of the youngest execs in league history. Therefore, it only makes sense that he would bring in a manager with a little more experience to help him out, right? Wrong.

Toboni, the Nats, and relative unknown Blake Butera have all come to an agreement on a contract to bring the latter to D.C. to take over as the team's new manager. He'd be the youngest manager since Frank Quillici managed the Twins at 33 years and 27 days old in 1972.

Butera (no relation to Drew) comes from a baseball family that saw his dad Barry get drafted by the Red Sox in 1977. His brother, Barry Jr., was drafted by Houston in Round 21 back in 2009. Blake himself played a few years in the Rays' system as an infielder out of Boston College before retiring and going into coaching.

He served as a skipper in the minors from 2018 through 2022 in various stops in the Rays' system before being named the head of minor league player development prior to the 2023 season, and was also an assistant on Mike Piazza's staff in the 2023 WBC for Team Italy.

Despite his age, he's well-regarded throughout the league as a bright mind on player development, having managed such players as Junior Caminero, Carson Williams, Chandler Simpson, and Jonathan Aranda; who are all on the cusp of or now in the big leagues.

"I’ve always believed that you win with people, and from our very first conversation, it was clear that Blake is the right person and the right leader for this role,” said Toboni in a statement. “Blake comes into this position with experience in a variety of roles in player development, including as a successful manager, making him uniquely qualified to get the most out of the players in the clubhouse and help us reach the next level.

"He possesses a strong baseball acumen and has a reputation for building strong relationships with players and staff, making him a great fit for us in Washington, D.C. We’re so excited to welcome him to the Nationals family.”

Butera also put out a statement of his own. He'll be introduced to the D.C. media on November 5th, flanked by Toboni and the Lerner family ownership group.

“I am incredibly honored to be named the manager of the Washington Nationals,” said Butera. “I’d like to thank the Lerner, Cohen and Tanenbaum families, as well as Paul Toboni, for the opportunity and for the trust they are placing in me. This franchise has a proud history, a passionate fanbase and a standard of excellence that I deeply respect. My family and I are fortunate to be part of it. I’m excited to get to work alongside our players, coaches and staff to build something special -- a team that is rooted in trust, connection and competitiveness. We want to represent this city and our fans in a way they can be proud of, and we’re ready to get started.”

Three managerial positions now remain unfilled -- San Diego, Atlanta, and Colorado. Of the three, the Dodgers appear to the closest as the overwhelming favorite for the role is Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann. Albert Pujols was thought as the big favorite for the Padres' job, but others like Ryan Flaherty (Cubs bench coach) and current pitching coach Ruben Niebla are gaining some steam.

10/31 -- Rox, Ottavino have had discussions about open PBO role: Former Rockies pitcher and recently-retired Adam Ottavino has reportedly spoken with Dick Monfort about the open baseball operations post in Colorado, per Tim Healey at the Boston Globe. Ottavino, who will turn 40 in late November, pitched as recently as this season with the Yankees before being released by the team after a handful of outings.

Ottavino spent the bulk of his career with the Rockies, although he was originally drafted by the Cardinals back in 2006 in the first round. He was acquired via waivers in 2012 by the Rockies, and from there transitioned into being a full-time reliever upon joining their organization.

He was 17-18 with seventeen saves and a 3.42 career ERA with Colorado, and would go on to pitch for the Red Sox and Mets as well as the Yankees after his time in Denver. It would be an unprecedented kind of move, especially for someone who just called it a career and has pitched this season.

Diamondbacks assistant Amiel Sawdaye and Guardians assistant Matt Forman were under consideration and interviewed for the role, but the organization has decided to move on from those two options, leaving Ottavino as the only current known candidate for the role. James Click and Thad Levine, currently in Toronto as special assistants/advisors to Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, and Royals assistant general manager Scott Sharp were previously linked to the job, but there hasn't been any news in that regard recently.

The next PBO is stepping into one of the toughest MLB jobs, with having to hire a new manager/coaching staff and repair a farm system that has consistently ranked in the bottom-third of the league and struggles to develop quality pitching, considering the conditions pitchers have to pitch in at Coors Field.

11-08-2025, 02:37 PM	#41
3Bplay Major Leagues Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 326	MLB News (11/02) MLB NEWS WIRE Nats hire youngest manager since 1972; three vacancies remain plus open Rox PBO role By MLB.com staff 11/02/2025 10/27 -- Orioles to hire Albernaz: Baltimore has finalized a contract with Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz to become their new manager, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. Jon Morosi also reported a bit prior to that, that Albernaz was the front-runner for the position. A holdover from Terry Francona's staff in Cleveland, Albernaz took over as the team's bench coach in 2024 with newcomer Stephen Vogt's staff, and added the title of 'associate manager' in 2025. He replaces interim Tony Mansolino, who did a respectable job after the team axed Brandon Hyde roughly a quarter of the way into the 2025 season after a 15-28 start. Mansolino, previously the team's third base coach, is not expected to be retained on the new staff along with hitting coach Cody Asche and assistant Sherman Johnson. President of Baseball Operations/GM Mike Elias put out a statement regarding the hiring of Albernaz. “We are elated to welcome Craig Albernaz as the next manager of the Orioles and our leader on the field,” Elias’s statement reads. “Craig has built an exemplary career across multiple successful organizations and brings a tremendous amount of experience, knowledge, and talent to our organization and to this new challenge. We believe he is the right person at the right time to elevate our baseball operations and guide our team back to the playoffs and a World Series Championship.” Albernaz, who is expected to be introduced as the team's manager on November 4th, also put out a statement of his own. “I am deeply honored and humbled to join the storied Baltimore Orioles organization,” Albernaz’s statement read. “This is a tremendous honor, and I’m grateful to Mike Elias and the entire Orioles team for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading this talented club.” Where does this leave the other candidates for the Orioles' job? Albert Pujols is looking more and more likely to be named the Padres' new manager in the coming days. Others like Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, Royals third base coach Vance Wilson, and even a long-shot candidate like former Buck Showalter were reportedly considered, but ultimately passed on. 10/30 -- Twins, Shelton reunite as he returns to Minneapolis: A former assistant in Minnesota before taking the Pirates job prior to the 2020 season, Derek Shelton is back in Minnesota, but this time as the manager. He's the 15th manager in team history, but only the fifth since 1986. Rocco Baldelli was let go following a 72-90 season that saw them go through a firesale at the deadline and ultimately falling out of the race soon after that. Shelton has a tough job ahead of him in 2026, but does have a few cornerstones to build around in pitchers Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan, outfielder Byron Buxton, and first baseman Kody Clemens. “Derek brings a tremendous amount of experience from his many years coaching and managing at the Major League level,” Twins president, baseball & business operations Derek Falvey said in a statement. “He cares deeply about this community and our fans, and he’s genuinely driven to take on the challenge of bringing winning baseball back to Minnesota. We’ve seen firsthand the trust and respect he earns from players and how he helps them reach their best. "His journey, through both the successes and the tough stretches, has given him real perspective as a leader. That balance and his connection to what this place means to people will serve our players and staff well as we work to build something lasting for our fans and for Minnesota," the statement went on to read. Shelton, a former bench coach in Minnesota, was a finalist for the job in 2019 prior to the organization turning to Baldelli to take over the role. He then served that one year under Baldelli before going to the Pirates, where he won just 306 games in five-plus seasons. 10/31 -- Nationals raise eyebrows with managerial hire: New Nationals baseball ops chief Paul Toboni is only thirty-five, and is one of the youngest execs in league history. Therefore, it only makes sense that he would bring in a manager with a little more experience to help him out, right? Wrong. Toboni, the Nats, and relative unknown Blake Butera have all come to an agreement on a contract to bring the latter to D.C. to take over as the team's new manager. He'd be the youngest manager since Frank Quillici managed the Twins at 33 years and 27 days old in 1972. Butera (no relation to Drew) comes from a baseball family that saw his dad Barry get drafted by the Red Sox in 1977. His brother, Barry Jr., was drafted by Houston in Round 21 back in 2009. Blake himself played a few years in the Rays' system as an infielder out of Boston College before retiring and going into coaching. He served as a skipper in the minors from 2018 through 2022 in various stops in the Rays' system before being named the head of minor league player development prior to the 2023 season, and was also an assistant on Mike Piazza's staff in the 2023 WBC for Team Italy. Despite his age, he's well-regarded throughout the league as a bright mind on player development, having managed such players as Junior Caminero, Carson Williams, Chandler Simpson, and Jonathan Aranda; who are all on the cusp of or now in the big leagues. "I’ve always believed that you win with people, and from our very first conversation, it was clear that Blake is the right person and the right leader for this role,” said Toboni in a statement. “Blake comes into this position with experience in a variety of roles in player development, including as a successful manager, making him uniquely qualified to get the most out of the players in the clubhouse and help us reach the next level. "He possesses a strong baseball acumen and has a reputation for building strong relationships with players and staff, making him a great fit for us in Washington, D.C. We’re so excited to welcome him to the Nationals family.” Butera also put out a statement of his own. He'll be introduced to the D.C. media on November 5th, flanked by Toboni and the Lerner family ownership group. “I am incredibly honored to be named the manager of the Washington Nationals,” said Butera. “I’d like to thank the Lerner, Cohen and Tanenbaum families, as well as Paul Toboni, for the opportunity and for the trust they are placing in me. This franchise has a proud history, a passionate fanbase and a standard of excellence that I deeply respect. My family and I are fortunate to be part of it. I’m excited to get to work alongside our players, coaches and staff to build something special -- a team that is rooted in trust, connection and competitiveness. We want to represent this city and our fans in a way they can be proud of, and we’re ready to get started.” Three managerial positions now remain unfilled -- San Diego, Atlanta, and Colorado. Of the three, the Dodgers appear to the closest as the overwhelming favorite for the role is Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann. Albert Pujols was thought as the big favorite for the Padres' job, but others like Ryan Flaherty (Cubs bench coach) and current pitching coach Ruben Niebla are gaining some steam. 10/31 -- Rox, Ottavino have had discussions about open PBO role: Former Rockies pitcher and recently-retired Adam Ottavino has reportedly spoken with Dick Monfort about the open baseball operations post in Colorado, per Tim Healey at the Boston Globe. Ottavino, who will turn 40 in late November, pitched as recently as this season with the Yankees before being released by the team after a handful of outings. Ottavino spent the bulk of his career with the Rockies, although he was originally drafted by the Cardinals back in 2006 in the first round. He was acquired via waivers in 2012 by the Rockies, and from there transitioned into being a full-time reliever upon joining their organization. He was 17-18 with seventeen saves and a 3.42 career ERA with Colorado, and would go on to pitch for the Red Sox and Mets as well as the Yankees after his time in Denver. It would be an unprecedented kind of move, especially for someone who just called it a career and has pitched this season. Diamondbacks assistant Amiel Sawdaye and Guardians assistant Matt Forman were under consideration and interviewed for the role, but the organization has decided to move on from those two options, leaving Ottavino as the only current known candidate for the role. James Click and Thad Levine, currently in Toronto as special assistants/advisors to Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, and Royals assistant general manager Scott Sharp were previously linked to the job, but there hasn't been any news in that regard recently. The next PBO is stepping into one of the toughest MLB jobs, with having to hire a new manager/coaching staff and repair a farm system that has consistently ranked in the bottom-third of the league and struggles to develop quality pitching, considering the conditions pitchers have to pitch in at Coors Field.