The Washington Nationals are finalizing a deal to hire Blake Butera as manager and make him the youngest person to hold the job in the majors in more than half a century, sources told ESPN on Thursday.

At 33 years old, Butera will be the youngest manager since the Minnesota Twins hired Frank Quilici in 1972, according to ESPN Insights.

With their rebuild since a 2019 World Series win stalled, the Nationals fired general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez in July . Former Boston Red Sox assistant general manager Paul Toboni was hired in late September as president of baseball operations to replace Rizzo, and Washington's search for a manager landed on an unlikely candidate in Butera.

Previously the senior player development director for the Tampa Bay Rays , Butera h

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