Sawt Falasteen - MLB Nationals name Cairo interim manager after shake-up

The 51-year-old Venezuelan, who played for nine different MLB teams in a 17-year career that ended in 2012, replaced Dave Martinez, who was fired by the struggling club on Sunday in a shake-up that also included the ouster of general manager Mike Rizzo.

"Miguel is well-respected in our organization and around baseball," interim general manager Mike DeBartolo said in a statement.

"A diligent worker and student of the game, he has a proven track record of showing strong leadership in a variety of situations and I believe that his voice and energy will serve as a catalyst to our team and our fan base in the second half of the season."

The Nationals are 37-53 and last in the National League East division. They are on pace for a sixth straight losing season since winning the 2019 World Series under Martinez.

DeBartolo took over on Sunday for Rizzo, who had been making personnel decisions for the Nats sine 2009.

Cairo has MLB managerial experience. In 2022, he was a bench coach for the Chicago White Sox and served as acting manager when Tony La Russa stepped away with health issues. Cairo guided the White Sox to an 18-16 record over the final games of the campaign.

The Nationals take the field under Cairo for the first time on Tuesday at St. Louis.

Washington holds the top pick Sunday in the MLB Draft.

A.AlHaj--SF-PST