Washington Nationals: 5 managers who should replace Dusty Baker

5. Gabe Kapler

I will admit, this first candidate is a little bit out of the box. Gabe Kapler has never been a big league manager. Heck, he has only been a minor league manager one time (in the middle of his playing career back in 2007 for the Boston Red Sox Class A team) and has very little overall coaching experience. That being said, Kapler is an extremely smart guy who could easily thrive in the role of manager of an MLB team.

Kapler was a 13-year MLB veteran who was always considered a great teammate. A platoon outfielder with pedestrian career numbers, Kaplan was far from a superstar but he stuck around for a long time because of his positive effect on a clubhouse and willingness to accept his role.

Kapler has been a retired baseball player since 2011. He spent time in the media as an analyst on Fox Sports 1. The former outfielder was always extremely impressive on camera, showing advanced knowledge of the game, particularly on the statistical side. It was obvious while watching Kapler that he is a forward-thinking guy who has a bright future ahead of him.

Since 2014, Kapler has been the Director of Player Development for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has had a huge positive influence on the entire Dodgers’ organization and is a major reason for their recent success with young players. Kapler was among the finalist to become the Dodgers’ manager in 2016 but lost out to Dave Roberts.

Kapler is a forward-thinker who always has an open mind and knows how to handle players. If it’s the path he wishes to take, Gabe Kapler will be a big league manager at some point in his career. The Washington Nationals are a ready-made contender, so they may not want to take a chance on a guy with no experience like Kapler. That being said, if they keep an open mind and give him a chance, the former outfielder could take this team to the promise land.