Reports: Nationals to extend manager Martinez

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[September 26, 2020]    The Washington Nationals have agreed to extend the contract of manager Dave Martinez, multiple outlets reported, one day ahead of his 56th birthday.

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez hits a ball during day five of Nationals workouts at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Martinez agreed to a three-year, $7.5 million deal that begins in the 2021 season, USA Today reported. He had a club option for 2021 on his existing deal.

In his second season as a major league manager, Martinez guided the Nationals to a World Series title in 2019. To get there, Martinez had to navigate through a slow start in which his team was a disappointing 19-31 deep into the second month of the season.

The Nationals ultimately railed to earn a wild-card berth in the playoffs and then stormed through the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros to win the franchise's first-ever championship.

The extension comes despite a disappointing 2020 season. The Nationals entered the final weekend of the regular season with a 23-34 record and they already have been eliminated from playoff consideration.

In his three seasons at the helm, Martinez is 198-183 with the Nationals. Martinez was previously a bench coach for the Chicago Cubs under manager Joe Maddon.

A veteran of 16 major league seasons, he was a career .276 hitter with 91 home runs and 580 RBIs for the Cubs (1986-88, 2000), Montreal Expos (1988-91), Cincinnati Reds (1992), San Francisco Giants (1993-94), Chicago White Sox (1995-97), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-2000), Texas Rangers (2000) and Atlanta Braves (2001).

--Field Level Media

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