Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez is the new Nationals manager

Dave Martinez, who has been the Cubs’ bench coach for the last three seasons and who had the same position under Joe Maddon with the Rays for seven years before that, has finally received a managerial job, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports:

Davey Martinez is the Washington Nationals choice to be their next manager, sources tell FanRag Sports.

Martinez will be announced as Washington’s new manager after the World Series. It is believed the announcement is only being delayed out of deference to the Series, and MLB’s wish that teams avoid major announcements during baseball’s showcase.

Martinez had interviewed for managing jobs with at least five teams over the last several years, including being interviewed for the Cubs manager’s position before 2014, when Rick Renteria was eventually hired.

He had a 16-year playing career which included two stints with the Cubs, from 1986-88 and again in 2000. In the latter year he tied a major-league record by playing for four teams (Blue Jays, Rangers, Cubs and Devil Rays). Martinez has been highly regarded as a bench coach and Maddon recently sang his praises:

"It's baffling to me a bit why (Martinez isn't considered) more often. He's been around a lot of winning teams here, and not only that, him as a player, that's what drew me to him a bit with the Rays. I never had been with him as a teammate but watched him play. He was such a heady, aggressive, gritty kind of player and bilingual. All that matters. He's not afraid to have tough conversation a lot of times people in that position may shy away from."

And now, Martinez has apparently received that chance, and he’ll move into a situation where expectations are high, after the Nationals have won the N.L. East four times in the last six seasons and have lost in the division-series round each time.

I wish Martinez well in his new position, and Maddon will now have yet another coach to hire. There will, of course, be suggestions that popular former Cubs catcher David Ross get that position, but that’s really up to Ross and whether he wants to return to baseball fulltime, and whether Maddon thinks Ross is the right choice.

UPDATE: Per Nationals beat writer Chelsea Janes, Martinez has a multi-year deal in place: