Dusty Baker has not been a manager for a professional baseball team since opting to retire from the Houston Astros in 2023. Since then, he has taken on a special advisor role with the San Francisco Giants. However, it sounds like Baker is dusting off the manager cap once again to participate in the World Baseball Classic.

Reports indicate that Baker, who is 76 years old, will be the manager of Nicaragua in the World Baseball Classic, according to Talkin' Baseball. The tournament is set to begin in 2026. It will be his first coaching job since retiring from the Astros. It is also Baker's first time ever coaching in the tournament.

“Dusty Baker will manage Nicaragua in the 2026 World Baseball Classic!”

That's quite the get for Nicaragua, as Baker helped lead the Astros to a World Series win in 2022. This will be the country's second-ever appearance in the World Baseball Classic, as the team hopes to qualify for the championship rounds.

Now that Dusty Baker has been hired as manager for Nicaragua, the team can more thoroughly begin adding players to the roster. It's not entirely clear who will be on the roster just yet. However, Nicaragua will begin the World Baseball Classic in Pool D, alongside Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, and Israel.

The World Baseball Classic will begin on March 5, 2026, with the championship game being on March 17, 2026. So, we are still several months away from the coveted tournament. At the very least, it will be a cool way for some players around MLB to prepare for the 2026 season, rather than participating in spring training.

Having former manager Dusty Baker partake in the upcoming tournament, but the Astros will be hosting the World Baseball Classic for all of the teams in Pool B. That includes the United States, Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, and Brazil.

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