Washington Nationals name Blake Butera as new manager

WASHINGTON (7News) — The Washington Nationals have appointed Blake Butera as their new manager, making him MLB’s youngest manager in more than 50 years.

Butera, 33, comes to the Nationals after two successful seasons as the senior director of player development for the Tampa Bay Rays. He is originally from Madisonville, Louisiana.

Butera also served as the Rays’ Minor League field coordinator in 2023 and managed in their Minor League system from 2018 to 2022.

The announcement was made by Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni, who expressed confidence in Butera’s leadership abilities.

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“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,” Toboni said.

The Nationals parted ways with former manager Dave Martinez and baseball operations president Mike Rizzo this summer.