Good Morning Washington Nationals Fans,

Here are the latest headlines and analyses around the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball for today, November 8, 2023. I am Haden and let’s dive into the news.

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Leading today’s Morning Briefing: Nationals hire Miguel Cairo to be new bench coach

The Nationals hired Mets minor league infield coordinator Miguel Cairo to be their new bench coach, according to Mike Mayer. Cairo previously worked as a bench coach under manager Tony La Russa with the White Sox but was let go when Pedro Griffol took the reins last offseason. Cairo played in parts of 17 seasons in the majors with nine different teams. He got his first shot at consistent playing time in 1998 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Davey Martinez was also on the 1998 Devil Rays, and they proceeded to play together for over two years.

With the addition of Ricky Gutierrez and Cairo to the staff, the Nationals seem to be looking to continue to improve their infield defense. If CJ Abrams can play defense like he did in the second half, the Nationals are in good shape. The next step is to get consistent success from Luis García at second base.

Nationals move up game times in 2024

The Nationals announced their home game start times for the 2024 season and there was one big difference this year. Game times for weeknight games have been moved up from 7:05 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. The Nationals hope this leads to more fans in the stands for the entire game.

What are your thoughts?

Matt Cronin Designated For Assignment

Left-handed reliever Matt Cronin has been designated for assignment. The 2019 fourth-round pick out of Arkansas has dealt with injuries for most of his pro career, most recently a herniated disc that Cronin says was causing pain for two years. Hopefully, the Nationals can bring him back on a minor-league deal for 2024.

This move drops the 40-man roster down to 40 with the activations of players from the 60-day injured list. More DFAs are to come so the Nationals can clear room for Rule 5 protections and potential Rule 5 draftees. Likely candidates include Cory Abbott, Jeter Downs, and Israel Pineda.

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ICYMI: Latest articles on the Nats Report

Even though it is the offseason, we have been extremely busy producing a lot of great content here on the Nats Report. Here are just a couple of the articles that we have published this week that you might have missed:

• Rochester Red Wings: A Year in Review
• Could Jordan Montgomery be a fit for the Nationals?
• Prospect Profile: James Wood

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Featured Stories of the Day

• Craig Counsell shocks the world by signing with the Cubs via ESPN
• Astros deny bench coach from managerial interviews despite having contract expire via The Athletic ($)
• Mets bring on Carlos Mendoza to be manager via MLB.com

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