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By The Washington Nationals officially named Blake Butera the eighth manager in team history on Friday. Today’s announcement was made by Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni.
“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,” said Toboni. “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.”
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. 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.
“I am incredibly honored to be named the manager of the Washington Nationals,” said Butera. “I’d like to thank the Lerner, Cohen and Tanenbaum families, as well as Paul Toboni, for the opportunity and for the trust they are placing in me. 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 began his coaching career with the Rays organization in 2017 as the bench coach for Single-A Hudson Valley and was promoted to manager in 2018, becoming the youngest manager in all of Minor League Baseball at the age of 25. Butera led Hudson Valley to Postseason berths in 2018 and 2019, leading the New York-Penn League in wins both seasons.
Butera was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 35th round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Boston College and spent two seasons in their system before joining the coaching ranks in 2017. He was selected as Team Italy's bench coach during the 2023 World Baseball Classic and helped the club to an appearance in the quarterfinals. Butera also garnered coaching experience with the Perth Heat of the Australian Baseball League in 2019 and Leones del Escogido in the Dominican League in 2020.
A native of Madisonville, La., Butera attended Mandeville High School. He and his wife, Caroline Margolis, reside in Raleigh, N.C. The couple welcomed their first child, Blair Margaux Butera, on Thursday.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Jeff Passan, ESPN.com:
Grant Paulsen, 106.7 FM The Fan
“A lot to like about the hiring of Blake Butera as the Nationals' new manager…”
Jon Morosi, MLB Network
“Butera received strong reviews for his work as the Team Italy bench coach at the 2023…”
Mike Piazza, Hall of Fame catcher and manager of Team Italy in the 2023 WBC, via Jon Morosi
