5 potential replacements for Joe Maddon as Chicago Cubs manager

3. Dave Martinez

Spurred by a 33-18 run through June and July, the Washington Nationals currently hold the top Wild Card spot in the National League. But any downturn would be bad in a very tight race, with six teams within 5.5 games of them entering Monday, and Dave Martinez would wind up right back on the hot seat if that happens.

Regardless of success, the Nationals cycle through managers like most people go through underwear. Davey Johnson (2011-2013), Matt Williams (2014-2015) and Dusty Baker (2016-2017) led the team to four division titles in their combined seven seasons as manager, and in Baker’s case he was simply not given a new contract after a 97-win season. So if Martinez misses the playoffs in each of his two years as manager, he could very well be gone in short order.

Martinez was a long-time lieutenant of Maddon’s, serving as bench coach with the Tampa Bay Rays (2008-2014) and the Cubs (2015-2017) before taking the job in Washington. So the Cubs’ brass is plenty familiar with him based on that latter stint there, and if Martinez is available he fits as a logical candidate to step in as Maddon’s replacement.