Former SF Giants coach interviewed for Washington Nationals managerial vacancy

A former SF Giants coach continues to garner interest for managerial openings around baseball. According to Andrew Golden of The Washington Post, Craig Albernaz interviewed for the Washington Nationals' managerial vacanacy within the last week.

Former SF Giants coach interviews for Washington Nationals managerial vacancy

While Albernaz may have been a legitimate candidate for Washington's opening, it is a moot point now. On Sunday night, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the former Giants coach is finalizing a deal to become the Baltimore Orioles' next manager.

Golden reports that interim manager Miguel Cairo also recently interviewed for the position. The Nationals a very much a team in transition.

During the season, they let go of longtime Nationals front office executive Mike Rizzo. Rizzo had been with Washington since 2007, beginning as an assistant general manager and advancing to become the team president of baseball operations.

The Nationals replaced Rizzo with Paul Toboni. Toboni served as an assistant general manager for the Boston Red Sox before taking over the Nationals' front office.

Of course, that is not the only change the Nationals made in 2025. They parted ways with Dave Martinez after eight seasons. He led them to a World Series title in 2019, but they have struggled quite a bit in recent seasons.

Miguel Cairo took over as the interim manager, and the Nationals have not lifted that tag yet. In addition to Cairo and Craig Albernaz, the Nationals have interviewed Brandon Hyde, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The Giants also interviewed both Hyde and Albernaz for their vacancy. That said, it did not feel like they were heavily considered for the role. Instead, the Giants went in a different direction by hiring University of Tennessee coach Tony Vitello.

Albernaz served as the Giants' bullpen and catching coach for four seasons beginning with the 2020 season. When they let go of Gabe Kapler, Albernaz quickly latched on as a key member of Stephen Vogt's staff for the Cleveland Guardians. He was originally hired as a bench coach, but his current title is associate manager.

The former Giants coach has been considered for a handful of managerial vacancies in the past couple of offseasons. He was viewed as a strong candidate for both the Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins' gigs last winter. There was a strong connection to Miami, given that Kapler now works for that organization as an assistant general manager.

In a bit of a surprise, Albernaz withdrew from consideration late in the process. He is well-regarded throughout baseball and will take over an Orioles club that massively underperformed in 2025. That said, they are not short on talent.