On October 20, 2017, the Nationals fired Dusty Baker after yet another year of elimination in the NLDS. Nats fans could see this coming from a mile away, as the team only has one more year to win it all and have yet to see the NLCS.

Dusty Baker was the Nationals manager for two years, it was a very difficult decision to make, and fans are torn. But I think that they made the right decision.

Dusty has had more than enough talent to get through the playoffs. Michael A. Taylor has been unstoppable, hitting .333 in the postseason and had two home runs in clutch spots, not to mention the unbelievable glove that he provides. Bryce Harper looked like his rookie year self going .319 with 29 home runs. Not to mention the talent of our starting pitching and the bullpen help we acquired. But still, Dusty hasn’t been able to get it done in the post season.

There is only one more year on Bryce Harper’s contract, and odds are the Nats won’t be able to pay him the sum that he wants. Bryce’s contract isn’t the only one ending soon. Daniel Murphy’s contract ends in 2019, and he may not return either. The Nats only have one more year to get their first title before they will begin a rebuilding phase, and if they were to keep Dusty and if the pattern were to continue, they just wouldn’t be able to win.

The Nats have hired Dave Martinez as their new manager. He signed a three year deal Sunday with an option for a fourth year. He was a great candidate for the job, and the Nats made a great decision signing him. And they agree, as this is the first time the Nationals have given a manager a three year deal, which is becoming more and more common throughout Major League Baseball.

Dave Martinez may be the best choice for the manager spot. He was a part of the Chicago Cubs for ten years including the title that they earned last year. He is also bilingual, which may be overlooked but in a league where players are coming from Spanish-speaking countries all the time, is an underrated quality. The only downside to him being a manager is that he has never assumed that role before. But, keep in mind he was under Joe Maddon for ten years, arguably the best manager in baseball.

Martinez is stepping into a situation where he has a lot of potential to win. He has an overloaded line up with power from top to bottom, some of the best starting pitching in baseball, and has a bullpen that has been proven lethal. He has some big shoes to fill, but look for the Nationals to be a team to watch next year.