As ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported, the Nationals had a seasonal reorganization of their organization, Jeff Passan reported that both baseball business president Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez were fired. The Nath has confirmed the news and announced that assistant GM Mike Debartolo will become interim general manager for the rest of the season. The interim manager who replaces Martinez will be confirmed tomorrow.
“I first want to represent our family and the Washington National Organization and most importantly thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and the city. Our family is forever grateful for their dedication to the organization over the years, including their role in bringing the World Series trophy to Washington, D.C.. ” Chief Mark Lerner said in an official statement from the team.Although we appreciate their past success, we or our fans expect not what we or our fans expect. This is a critical time for our club and we believe that new approaches and new energy are our team moving forward. ”
The news follows Washington’s 6-4 loss to the Red Sox today, down 37-53 this season. Only the White Sox and the Rockies have won fewer games than the Nationals since winning the 2019 World Series. James Wood and Mackenzie Gore enjoyed the breakout season, with CJ Abrams doing well for the second consecutive year, but in reality, the entire roster in the entire Nationals didn’t reach the progressive season in the club’s rebuilding.
Given this context, it is no surprise that national ownership has chosen a new beginning, even if the specific timing is somewhat surprising. Bob Nightengale wrote that some contract languages may also be playing, which is the deadline for the group to decide whether to exercise the club in the 2026 season. Martinez’s last expansion is known to include club options for 2026, and while the specific terms of Rizzo’s last expansion are not publicly disclosed, it makes sense that his deal will match Martinez’s contract.
Debartolo has been working at the National Organization since his internship with the team in 2012, and he has been moving to the AGM position on the management ladder ahead of the 2019 season. While most teams will promote temporary positions from within, it is especially important to maintain a certain degree of continuity in this case, in which case it is especially important to maintain a certain amount of continuity as how the Nationals get the first overall draft pick in the MLB draft next weekend, and in addition, there are many important decisions for the club to make in terms of sales ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.
Rizzo’s tenure with the Nationals was only 19 years away, as he was hired as an assistant GM in July 2006. When Jim Bowden resigned as general manager before the 2009 season began, Rizzo himself was appointed as a temporary GM role, while Rizzo was promoted to full-time general manager job in August. Washington lost 103 games in another 2009 rebuild, but Rizzo was a successful rebuild and franchise overhaul, turning the National into a consistent contender for much of the next decade.
The bottoming effect helped the Nationals get their first overall pick in the 2009 (Stephen Strasburg) draft and 2010 (Bryce Harper) draft, so Rizzo was fired for some irony, approaching Washington’s other best pick. Although Rizzo and the Nationals have announced Jayson Werth’s seven-year, $126mm free agent trade signing in the 2010-11-11 offseason, adding Anthony Rendon to the sixth overall ranking in 2011, despite Rizzo and Nationals having announced earlier game intentions.
Over the years, the bold move from the last one was one of Rizzo’s many compelling deals as the Nationals made larger free agent investments in players like Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin. Trea Turner is the main trade acquisition for potential clients who have grown into a star infielder, while Juan Soto added an all-around roster creation from international prospects to the emergence of direct superstars, which ultimately led to the 2019 World Series Championship. The championship game started in 2012-19 for Washington for eight consecutive seasons and four NL East Crowns (although NATS entered the 2019 playoffs with wildcards).
And more…
