This morning, the Washington Nationals officially named Blake Butera the eighth manager in team history. Today’s announcement was made by Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni. Butera’s name goes next to some of the greats in baseball history like Frank Robinson, Davey Johnson, Dusty Baker, and yes, even Dave Martinez who hoisted the World Series trophy for the Washington Nationals exactly six years ago last night.
Speaking about yesterday, Butera became a father with the birth of his daughter with his wife, Caroline Margolis, who he met when they were both student athletes at Boston College. While Margolis was a lacrosse star at BC, Butera was a baseball star there. Caroline had baseball in her family as her maternal uncle, Bob Bailor, was a long-time major league player and once called the ultimate utility player. Margolis went on to play pro lacrosse while Blake was playing as a minor leaguer in the Tampa system. They currently live in Raleigh, North Carolina, and had managed living in different locations in the past. Obviously a baseball manager spends a lot of time on the road, and Caroline has been working as an attorney specializing in employment law in North Carolina since graduating law school in 2022. They say that Washington, D.C. has the highest percentage of lawyers in the country.
“I am incredibly honored to be named the manager of the Washington Nationals. … 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.”
— Butera said in a statement published by the Nationals
Butera, 33, joins the Nationals after spending the previous two seasons as the senior director of player development for the Tampa Bay Rays, one of the most well-respected player development operations in Major League Baseball. He served as the Rays’ Minor League field coordinator in 2023 following four seasons (2018–22) as a manager in their Minor League system. And before that, Butera was a minor league player in the Tampa system after he was drafted by the Rays out of Boston College. At Single-A Charleston, Butera was named Carolina League Manager of the Year in 2021 and 2022, won the Carolina League championship both seasons, and the 2022 club was named Minor League Team of the Year by Baseball America. In four seasons, Butera’s clubs went 258–144 (.642) and finished in first place each year.
What Butera doesn’t have in Major League experience will be something that he will learn quickly, and Spring Training camp opens in just over 110 days. Before that, he has a lot of homework to do as he builds out his coaching staff.
“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 about the hiring of Butera
“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.”
As the accolades roll in about Butera, we all know that the true judgement comes in wins and losses. His MLB record will mostly define him as a manager. And don’t be surprised by the fan skepticism with a manager who is younger than pitcher Trevor Williams. But age didn’t stop Butera being successful in Tampa’s system as a 25 year old manager who was the youngest in minor league baseball. Few have the résumé that Butera already has at his age. They said the same about Toboni who is just 35.
The Los Angeles Rams hired a 30 year old head coach, Sean McVay, and five years later he was the youngest coach to ever win a Super Bowl. Age is a number. You hope that Butera finds that same level of success with the Nationals and exceed it.
“Before, the older coaches were the head coaches. … You needed to be in the league and get fired a couple times and bounce around a couple times until you’re hardened. Now, they bring in these [young first-time coaches], and they can communicate with the players. They understand what they like, and they’re not that far removed from [the player’s] age.”
— former NFL head coach Herm Edwards said at the time of McVay’s historic hiring at 30 years of age
Some would say that you are only as good as the roster they give you. But if you believe, like many, that the Nationals greatly under-achieved with a roster loaded with former Top-100 prospects, then you can see that this might be rooted in the belief that Butera needs to get more from the players currently on the roster.
In the 2025 season, several players under-achieved like Dylan Crews and Brady House. A few more had huge first halves of the season, like James Wood, MacKenzie Gore, and CJ Abrams, and they all struggled in the second half of the season.
“It all starts with day one next year, coming out in spring training and setting the tone, setting the standard right away — and really holding each other accountable from the start. I think a lot of times this year we were able to brush things under the rug, and we should’ve said something. I think from the start next year, we really need to hold each other accountable and set the tone, find the standard for next year.”
— outfielder Dylan Crews said after the season ended
What this Nats’ team has been missing for years is a long-term veteran leader on this team. When Toboni was asked about team leaders, he quickly pointed to Alex Bregman who Toboni helped acquire last offseason for the Boston Red Sox. Even after the team traded their franchise player, Rafael Devers, they still went to the postseason. But clearly, the Red Sox set themselves up for success with a core of young top prospects, and a few of them stepped up to turn the Red Sox into a contender.
Again, Butera might be asked to get more with less, but Toboni and ownership should help by getting him a long-term team leader. Not only will that be a positive step for the current players, the fan base clearly needs something tangible to cheer about.
My belief is you have to take a manager like Butera and surround him with great coaches, and the key is a bench coach who isn’t like-minded. You would hope his bench coach has previous MLB managerial experience. Expect names to emerge shortly as to coaches added to the staff.
In the meantime, free agency opens in a few days, and the Nationals DFA’d Jorge Alfaro, and he opted to become a free agency. The Nationals are now down to seven arb-eligible players on the roster. As Toboni builds out his front office, other decisions will be coming up.
