It came down to two similar jobs. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals are talent-laden teams with seemingly unending budgets, each looking to get over the hump and contend for a World Series.
In the end, Bud Black chose to become a National. Per James Wagner of the Washington Post on Wednesday, Washington and the veteran manager "intend" to agree to a contract, as Black will reportedly take over for the fired Matt Williams.
A formal announcement is not expected until after the World Series, as CSN Mid-Atlantic's Mark Zuckerman noted:
The Nationals made their final decision on Black within the last 48 hours, according to the source, but intend to adhere to Major League Baseball’s longstanding request that clubs not make significant news during the World Series.