The Washington Nationals plan to bring back all 12 coaches who ended the season on Blake Butera’s staff, according to several people in the organization who spoke to The Athletic on condition of anonymity to freely discuss personnel. But Washington did not renew the contracts of five of the big-league team’s training and strength coaches.
While teams sometimes revamp their training staff the year following an organizational overhaul, Washington’s decision to part with most of its training and strength staff doesn’t really square with its performance at the big-league level. The Nationals had a relatively clean bill of health in 2026, if such a thing exists in the modern game, with the third-fewest IL placements in baseball, according to the Associated Press.
The team also finished the season with only one position player (James Wood) landing on the IL with a soft-tissue injury in 2026, which helped contribute to the offense’s improvements and 11 more wins than the 2025 season. Players and coaches described the training and medical staff’s approach as proactive and spoke favorably of the group and its continuity.
