With Joe Girardi back as Yankee manager, the manager carsile starts spining again with rumors and talks going on as to who will land where. One such rumor has a published report that Paul O’Neil is in talks to be the next Reds manager, and another is that Ozzie Gullien is interested in the Cubs job.
The other is that according to a few published reports is that Dusty Baker is interested in The Washington Nationals managegial position and that he has reached out to the Nationals to express his interest.
From Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:
Longtime manager Dusty Baker, whom the Reds fired late last week, contacted General Manager Mike Rizzo through his agent to inform the Nationals he is interested in the job. Baker said no interview has been schedule, and it is not clear if the Nationals have reciprocal interest in him.
Baker confirmed to Kilgore that he reached out and is interested.
“It’s early,” Baker said in a phone conversation. “A lot of stuff doesn’t really happen until the World Series is over. Right now, I’m in no hurry. I just let them know that I was interested.”
“It’s a good team. It’s a very good team,” Baker said. “I’m about winning. My son told me – he was crying the other day – he wanted to play for the Reds. Then he told me, ‘Dad, if you want to win, you want to go to the Nationals.’
“I don’t have a whole bunch of years left, but I’ve got some good ones left. I want to take a team to the top.”
“I don’t know why people think I’m going to retire,” Baker said. “I told them I’m a young 64. I’m better [physically] now than I was at this time last year. I feel younger now. I’m serious. I’m taking better care of myself than I was then. I’ll know when the time comes for me to go home. I’m not of those that refuses to face reality.”
No word on if the Nationals front office wants to go with a veteran like Baker or with perhaps a younger manager to replace the recently retired Davey Johnson.
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