The former Washington Nationals general manager made a statement following the decision the team made for him on Sunday.
Mike Rizzo Sends Clear Message After Major Nationals' Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Washington Nationals made a huge move over the Fourth of July weekend, firing manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo.
After helping the Nationals to a 37-53 record, resulting in last place in the NL East, Washington made the move just one week before the 2025 MLB Draft.
The Nationals hold the first overall pick in the draft, and they have announced that senior vice president and assistant general manager Mike Debartolo will be the interim general manager. Their decision on an interim manager will take place sometime on Monday.
It was an interesting time for the Nationals to make such a big move, as Martinez and Rizzo helped lead Washington to the franchise's first World Series in team history in 2019.
Rizzo was in his 18th year as the general manager, and Martinez was the longest-tenured and winningest manager in team history.
The former general manager made a statement following his termination from the team on Monday.
"My goal was to lead a franchise to greatness with honesty, integrity and professionalism. I feel we did that. I want to thank every single player, manager, coach, staff member and Nationals Park employee who worked tirelessly to propel this incredible run with the Washington Nationals... A special thanks to the fans who have embraced my family and I since day one nearly 19 years ago. DC will always have a very special place in our hearts," Mike Rizzo said on Monday.
A statement from Mike Rizzo:
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) July 7, 2025
“My goal was to lead a franchise to greatness with honesty, integrity and professionalism. I feel we did that. I want to thank every single player, manager, coach, staff member and Nationals Park employee
A special thanks to the fans who have embraced my family and I since day one nearly 19 years ago. DC will always have a very special place in our hearts.”
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) July 7, 2025
Rizzo had been general manager for the Nationals since 2009, helping the team win four NL East titles from 2012-2017 along with their only World Series title in 2019.
He was the mastermind behind signing pitcher Max Scherzer in 2015, signing Juan Soto as a teenager in 2015 and trading him away in 2022 for young prospects James Wood, CJ Abrams, and MacKenzie Gore.
Mike Rizzo's successes at the helm had dried out in recent years, not making the playoffs since their title run six years ago, and in result, the Nationals have moved on from him and manager Dave Martinez on Sunday.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
