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Nationals announce extension for manager Martinez

MLB: Washington Nationals-Workouts

The Washington Nationals and manager Dave Martinez have agreed to terms on a multi-year contract extension, the team said on Saturday.

Terms of the deal were not announced, but USA Today reported that it's a three-year, $7.5 million pact that begins in the 2021 season.

Martinez, who turned 56 on Saturday, is wrapping up his third season with the Nationals (23-34). He led the team to a World Series title in 2019.

"Three years ago when we selected Davey to be our Manager, he made a promise to our fans that he would bring a World Championship back to Washington, D.C.," Nationals owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. "There was never any doubt in my mind that he would make that dream a reality. Davey's determination and unwavering support of his players is admirable. We are so fortunate to have him leading our clubhouse each and every day."

In the Nationals' title run, Martinez and the club bounced back from a 19-31 start to become the first team since the 1914 Boston Braves to win a championship after being 12 games under .500 during the season.

Martinez joined the Nationals as a rookie manager after serving stints as a bench coach with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Chicago Cubs. Entering Saturday's doubleheader against the New York Mets, the Nationals have gone 198-183 during his tenure, leaving him 27 wins shy of the record for wins by a manager in Washington (Davey Johnson, 224).

A veteran of 16 major league seasons, he was a career .276 hitter with 91 home runs and 580 RBIs for the Cubs (1986-88, 2000), Montreal Expos (1988-91), Cincinnati Reds (1992), San Francisco Giants (1993-94), Chicago White Sox (1995-97), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-2000), Texas Rangers (2000) and Atlanta Braves (2001).

--Field Level Media