Sources: Nationals interviewed Gardenhire, Green

WASHINGTON -- Ron Gardenhire arrived in D.C. on Monday, according to a baseball source, and interviewed with the Nationals for their managerial opening on Tuesday. Later in the day, D-Backs third-base coach Andy Green also met with the Nationals front office about their managerial post, another source confirmed.

The Nationals are looking to hire their sixth full-time manager after dismissing Matt Williams on Oct. 5. The team has already interviewed Phil Nevin, Dusty Baker, Bud Black and Ron Wotus.

Gardenhire, who has also interviewed with the Padres for their open managerial post, is considered one of the better managers in Twins history, having guided them to the postseason six times. Under Gardenhire, the Twins made it as far as the American League Championship Series in 2002, but lost to the Angels.

Gardenhire managed the Twins for 13 years, and he had a 1,068-1,039 record. The Twins won at least 90 games five times. He was dismissed as manager after the 2014 season.

One of Gardenhire's mentors was Davey Johnson, who managed the Nationals from 2011-13. According to the Orlando Sentinel, it was Johnson who helped Gardenhire get back to the big leagues as a player in the early 1980s. Gardenhire followed in Johnson's footsteps and became a quality manager in his own right.

As for Green, he just completed his first season as Arizona's third-base coach. He has managed in the Minor Leagues, going 219-189 in Arizona's farm system from 2011-14. In his last two years as a Minor League manager, Green led Double-A Mobile to the postseason.

General manager Mike Rizzo is familiar with Green. Rizzo was a scouting director for Arizona while Green was a player for the club from 2004 to '06.