Washington Nationals continue to purge their coaching staff

After a disappointing finish in 2020, the Washington Nationals are making numerous changes to their coaching staff.

A little less than a year ago, the Washington Nationals were atop the baseball world. They had not just made it to the World Series for the first time in franchise history, but they had won the championship, appearing to be set up for a run of postseason appearances.

Then came the 2020 season. The Nationals struggled out of the gates, and unlike the previous year, were unable to recover. They finished the season with a 26-34 record, tied with the Mets for last in the division, a result that no one would have predicted at the start of the year.

With that finish, changes were bound to happen. The Nationals had handed manager Davey Martinez an extension through 2023, so he will not be going anywhere. Instead, the coaching staff will be vastly different for the 2021 season.

Bench coach/third base coach Chip Hale will not be returning, along with hitting coach Kevin Long and pitching coach Paul Menhart. Both Long and Menhart’s contracts had expired, while Hale had been brought on as a veteran voice to help him acclimate to the role.

Changes were certainly needed. While both Juan Soto and Trea Turner had blossomed under Long’s tutelage, the rest of the offense took a major step back this season. Likewise, the Nationals had bullpen issues for the second consecutive year; while that is not necessarily Menhart’s fault, it did not help his cause.

But this is also an opportunity for Martinez. He can now pick his guys in these roles, instead of having coaches brought whose philosophies may not mesh with his own. There can be a consistent message from the top down when it comes to what the major league staff wants.

The Washington Nationals are undergoing some changes this offseason. Maybe a new coaching staff, and some new voices, can bring them back to the postseason.