Over the weekend, the Washington Nationals reportedly asked the Houston Astros for permission to interview bench coach Alex Cora about their open managerial gig. Cora's taking of the Boston Red Sox job squashed those hopes.
Yet it appears the Nationals have moved on to a different bench coach -- albeit another one from a final-four team: Dave Martinez of the Chicago Cubs.
The Nationals have reached out to Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez for their managerial opening and he will interview, per source.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) October 23, 2017
Martinez, 53, has spent most of the past decade serving as Joe Maddon's bench coach, both in Chicago and with the Tampa Bay Rays. He's been labeled a future manager, and has interviewed with a few teams in the past. Martinez hasn't landed of those gigs, obviously, but he's said to be good with players and has worked for a pair of data-friendly organizations -- suggesting he's at least somewhat open-minded about incorporating analytics.
Prior to becoming a coach, Martinez played parts of 16 seasons in the majors, during which he hit .276/.341/.389.
The Nationals are seeking a new manager after allowing Dusty Baker to walk last week.
