The Baltimore Orioles are poised to hire their new manager. Reports emerged late on Sunday night that Cleveland Guardians coach Craig Albernaz is set to take over the reins as the O's new skipper.
Albernaz, 42, might be a rather obscure name to most Orioles fans — especially since Albert Pujols and Ryan Flaherty were both floated as possibilities. But Albernaz had been seen by many within MLB circles as a future manager for some time, and was even in the running to take over for Terry Francona in Cleveland two years ago.
While the O's have found their man, one of Baltimore's biggest rivals has yet to hire a new manager. The Washington Nationals are still in search of their next skipper, but the O's may have inadvertently made the decision for them.
Former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is likely the Nationals' top choice to replace Dave Martinez in D.C.
According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, the Nats were targeting Albernaz and former Orioles' manager Brandon Hyde in their efforts to replace Dave Martinez in the Washington dugout. It would seem that with Albernaz now headed to Baltimore, the O's former skipper is likely headed to our nation's capital.
.@jonmorosi weighs in on the Orioles’ reported hiring of manager Craig Albernaz. pic.twitter.com/PrVtTQVx5w
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 27, 2025
Much like the Orioles, the Nationals have been searching for their manager since the 2025 season came to a close. The Nats won the World Series in 2019 with Martinez at the helm, but haven't been back to the playoffs ever since.
The Nats have finished in last place in the NL East in five of the past six seasons, and it seems as though they'll look to Hyde to lead them back to prominence. Good luck with that, Nats fans. Hyde owns a career .461 winning percentage in his seven-plus season with Baltimore and was 0-for-5 in the postseason. The O's fired Hyde midway through this past season after Baltimore started 15-28.
But it would seem that O's fans won't be able to rid themselves of Hyde that easily. If the Nats do indeed move forward with their plans to hire Hyde as their next manager, the Beltway Series just got a whole lot more intriguing heading into 2026.
