"The Washington Nationals are expected to hire Tampa Bay Rays first base coach Michael Johns as their new bench coach, according to multiple people familiar with the team's plans. With the hire, Johns, 50, will join new manager Blake Butera's staff as Washington attempts to bring in a fresh set of voices to guide its young roster. Johns was hired by the Rays ahead of the 2008 season and boasts plenty of minor league managerial experience."
"Butera also arrived in Washington from the Rays organization, where he most recently served as the franchise's senior director of player development. The two have some previous career overlap; Johns was a minor league field coordinator for the Rays from 2018 to 2022, and Butera managed in the minors for the organization during that time period. In a news conference last week, Paul Toboni, Washington's new president of baseball operations, said he and Butera would build the Nationals' coaching staff together."
"Toboni said that experience at the major league level was a "feather in the cap" but that the team would cast a wide net to find highly impactful staff members who could help fill in the gaps for Butera, who has never managed in the majors. "We want to create a really well-informed staff that also does a great job connecting with players and staff members,""
Michael Johns, 50, is expected to be hired as the Washington Nationals' bench coach and will join new manager Blake Butera's staff. Johns has been with the Tampa Bay Rays organization since 2008 and has managed five minor league affiliates, including the Rays' Class AAA team in 2023. Johns and Butera have prior overlap in the Rays system, with Johns serving as minor league field coordinator from 2018 to 2022 while Butera managed in the minors. Paul Toboni, the Nationals' new president of baseball operations, said he and Butera will jointly construct the coaching staff, prioritizing diverse, impactful backgrounds. Most of the previous coaching staff were informed they would not return.
Read at The Washington Post
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