WASHINGTON – And then it was over, in a paragraph typed on Washington Nationals letterhead and disseminated to reporters: Dusty Baker will not return as manager in 2018, the announcement said. Then the team thanked him for his service.
That service included regular seasons of 95 and 97 wins, the first back-to-back division titles in team history, and two losses in the National League Division Series. Since no Nationals manager has won the National League Division Series, he is among their most successful. The 68-year-old signed on with the Nationals on a two-year deal worth $4 million that he felt was below market value, and seemed likely to garner a raise on his next deal with the team.