Two-time interim Major League Baseball manager Miguel Cairo will head to the Dominican Republic this winter, where he’ll lead the Gigantes del Cibao during the 2026-27 LIDOM campaign.
Cairo served as the interim manager of the Chicago White Sox when Tony Larussa stepped aside in 2022 due to health issues. He took over the Washington Nationals in July 2025 when the club fired Dave Martinez.
The native of Venezuela’s Anzoategui state last managed in winter ball in his home country’s Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional with the Navegantes del Magallanes in 2023-24, going 24-33 and missing the playoffs.
The Gigantes del Cibao last won the LIDOM title in 2022 and haven’t advanced to the finals since.
Cairo will be joined in the Gigantes dugout by bench coach Jose Javier and pitching coach Rafael Chaves.
LBPRC
Senadores de San Juan Name Vizquel As Assistant Coach – After leading the Gigantes de Rivas to the championship series in Nicaragua’s Asociation de Beisbol Profesional Nacional last winter, Omar Vizquel will head to Puerto Rico, where he’ll be an assistant coach for the Senadores de San Juan in 2026-27.
Vizquel managed Venezuela’s 2017 World Baseball Classic squad to a 2-5 mark. He later managed in the Chicago White Sox minor league system, first at Advanced-A Winston-Salem, where his club went 84-54, and then Double-A Birmingham, before he was fired following allegations of sexual abuse by a male team employee in Birmingham.
He was named manager of the Toros de Tijuana of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol in December 2019, but didn’t take the helm until the 2021 season, as the 2020 season was cancelled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Tijuana got off to a hot start under Vizquel, going 22-8 to start the year. The club then won just 12 of its next 26 games, and Vizquel was fired. While managing Tijuana, Vizquel’s then-wife Bianca alleged that Vizquel abused her on several occasions during their marriage. Vizquel denied the allegations, and the couple divorced, with charges she had pressed against Vizquel being dropped.
This past season with Rivas, the Gigantes finished atop the regular-season standings at 21-11 under Vizquel and went 9-3 in the round robin playoffs. They lost the championship series 4-3 to the Leones de Leon.
Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico
Salt Lake City Will Host Aguilas, Jaguares In Preseason – The Aguilas de Mexicali will host the Jaguares de Nayarit for a pair of exhibition games on Sept. 26-27 at Salt Lake City’s Ballpark at America First Square, the home of the Salt Lake Bees, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels.
Venados de Mazatlan Announce Coaching Staff – The Venados de Mazatlan have announced the coaching staff that will assist first-year manager Chris Roberson in 2026-27. Mike Garcia has been named pitching coach, Joel Fuentes will serve as the bench coach, and Jerry Alvarez will be the batting coach with Ruben Estrada serving as assistant batting coach. Rafael Valenzuela will coach third base, Heber Gomez will coach at first base, Guillermo Navarro will coach the catchers, Edgar Osuna will be the Venados’ bullpen coach, and Hector Paez will be the quality control coach.
Photo: Washington Nationals interim manager Miguel Cairo walks back to the dugout after making a pitching change in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
