The Washington Nationals officially name Blake Butera as their new manager in what many would say it's an outside the box hire.  This episode breaks down what Nationals fans should expect from Butera's player development-focused approach and how it signals a major culture shift for the organization. We explore the new front office structure, including Mike DeBartolo's role as Senior VP (not GM), and why the Nationals won't be hiring a traditional general manager anytime soon. Plus, meet the key additions: Devin Pearson overseeing player development and Justin Horowitz handling amateur scouting and trades—both bringing proven track records from Boston and Pittsburgh. The discussion examines how this younger, analytics-driven front office could transform the Nationals' future and why this unconventional approach might just be ahead of its time.

0:00 Intro

0:31 Blake Butera officially named Nationals manager

2:33 Building a winning culture through player development

5:37 Changing the losing mentality in the clubhouse

7:38 Outside the box hire and front office alignment

10:41 Butera could transform how managers are hired

14:14 Mike DeBartolo's new role as senior VP

17:18 Why not just make DeBartolo the GM

20:22 Devin Pearson to oversee player development operations

23:58 Justin Horowitz brings Pirates scouting success to DC
 

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