With a number of vacancies to fill on their coaching staff, the Nationals will fill two of those spots with Gerardo Parra as the new first base coach and Ricky Gutierrez as the new third base coach, Andrew Golden of the Washington Post reports (via X). Parra and Gutierrez will respectively take over from Eric Young Jr. and Gary DiSarcina, as the Nats parted ways with both base coaches following the season.
This is the first coaching job for the 36-year-old Parra, who has spent the better part of the last two seasons as a special assistant to Nationals GM Mike Rizzo. 2021 was the final season of Parra’s 12-year Major League career, and he sandwiched two seasons with the Nats around a stint in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants in 2020.
Parra enjoyed a number of highlights during his lengthy career, including two Gold Gloves when playing for the Diamondbacks from 2009-14. However, Parra’s most famous broadly famous moments came with Washington in 2019, as his use of “Baby Shark” as his walkup song made him a viral sensation. Parra’s arrival with the Nationals after a May 2019 trade with the Giants was also considered a chief turning point in the Nats’ season, as Parra’s clubhouse leadership and contributions as an outfield regular helped get a then-struggling Washington team on track. The result was the Nationals’ first World Series championship, cementing Parra’s position as a fan favorite in the District for life.
The 53-year-old Gutierrez also has 12 seasons of Major League playing time on his resume, suiting up for six different teams from 1993-2004. Post-playing career, Gutierrez worked with the Reds’ player development department for five years and was the manager of their Double-A affiliate in 2021.
Gutierrez moved on from that job to join the Nationals prior to the 2022 season, first working as a Latin American scout and in a special assistant’s role, and he was part of the MLB team’s coaching staff in 2023 as a run prevention coordinator. That somewhat unique title meant that Gutierrez was focusing on improving the Nats’ defense, and Gutierrez (himself a former shortstop) in particular worked with CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia in the middle infield.
Having Para back in the fold is too good! I still have my “finish the fight” baby shark sticker people were handing out on the metro during the playoffs.
CJ’s my favorite Nat right now so no hate, but I think it’s great he’ll be working with a run-prevention coach who used to play short!
Just gonna comment and be gone: There is no one I’ve ever disliked more in MLB than Gerardo Parra.
More than like Ty Cobb or Marge Schott or Trevor Bauer?
No Baby Shark please!
Gerardo Parra in the role of dance choreographer?
You hecklers are a bunch of jerks. Parra is a good guy, smart, baseball-savvy, well-liked and respected in the clubhouse. The stint in Japan is probably a plus, as is 2 years in the front office as a special assistant. .
This is a young team with a lot of question marks…it is an absolute plus to bring on board a former player who knows how to interact with people and help give them reason to be excited.