For the second time in four seasons, longtime MLB infielder Miguel Cairo has a new role: interim manager.
The Washington Nationals named Cairo, 51, as their interim manager on Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the team dismissed Davey Martinez and longtime general manager Mike Rizzo.
Cairo served as Martinez’s bench coach over the last two seasons. He previously held the same role with the Chicago White Sox from 2021-22, and he went 18-16 as the club’s interim manager to close the latter season; then-manager Tony La Russa left the team for medical reasons.
“A diligent worker and student of the game, he has a proven track record of showing strong leadership in a variety of situations,” Nationals interim GM Mike DeBartolo said on Monday, “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.”
Cairo joins Don Kelly (Pittsburgh Pirates), Warren Schaeffer (Colorado Rockies), and Tony Mansolino (Baltimore Orioles) as interim managers. None of the other three has been given the full-time position, though such announcements typically come later in the year.
Baseball fans, especially those who play Immaculate Grid, likely remember Cairo from his 17-season playing career. Cairo suited up for nine teams, including the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, and Philadelphia Phillies from 1996 to 2012.
(For Grid players: Cairo also played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, and Cincinnati Reds. He’s an excellent option on most days!)
Cairo hit .264 with 41 home runs, 349 RBIs, and a .675 OPS over nearly 1,500 career games. He batted .282 in 82 postseason plate appearances, most coming as the Yankees’ starting second baseman in 2004.
Washington is 37-53 and 16 games back in the NL East race. The Nationals have not recorded a winning season since their 2019 World Series title.
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