Washington's problems run deeper than the front office.
On Sunday, the Washington Nationals shocked the baseball world with the news of a franchise-altering decision. Manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo, architects of the 2019 World Series championship, have been fired.
The pivot isn't without cause. The Nationals, at 37-53, have watched their rebuild stall and sit in last place in the National League East. Only the Chicago White Sox and historically-inept Colorado Rockies have fewer wins through 90 games. Martinez made comments alienating players during a seven-win June, and Rizzo's roster has not done enough to support its young stars.
Even so, cleaning house won't necessarily save the Nationals.
Washington can't fire its worst actor
There are plenty of reasons why the Nationals could have reasonably moved on from Rizzo. Players were not developing at the pace fans were expecting, offseason acquisitions had proven to be mostly fruitless, and the farm system isn't quite as strong as it should be, given how much draft capital Washington has had at its disposal.
Now, a week away from the 2025 MLB Draft, in which the Nationals have the No. 1 pick, interim general manager Mike DeBartolo will be pulling the trigger.
The move, and its awkward timing, didn't escape criticism. The Washington Post reported Rizzo's reaction to the news.
"The sun will come up tomorrow," Rizzo texted Barry Svrluga. "That's the job. I had a great run. Navigated that ownership group for almost 20 years."
That ownership group. The one that fired Rizzo for not acquiring enough talent with the sport's 22nd-highest payroll. The one that let Bryce Harper walk in free agency and traded Juan Soto when extension talks got a bit too real.
With owner Mark Lerner at the helm, Washington is positioned to mire in mediocrity, regardless of whether DeBartolo succeeds during his interim stint or is replaced by an even stronger candidate. As Ken Rosenthal put it earlier in the year, "Good teams both spend and develop. The Nationals do neither."
Washington isn't on the cutting edge of R&D. Its pitching lab isn't making headlines, its hitters aren't making seismic improvements, and several high-profile picks are struggling. The way the Nationals can win is by paying for talent to surround James Wood, CJ Abrams, and MacKenzie Gore, the remnants of Rizzo's biggest win on the trade block. That requires spending like a big market team. Spending like a team in the nation's capital is supposed to.
Rizzo was far kinder in his goodbye to the organization.
"My goal was to lead a franchise to greatness with honesty, integrity and professionalism," Rizzo said, via Chelsea Janes. "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.
"I am grateful to the Lerner Family for the opportunity to lead this organization and proud of what we accomplished here. 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."
Sunday's MLB Draft will be the first meaningful moment for Washington in a post-Rizzo world. Adding a blue-chip talent to this young core should be met with excitement, but Nationals fans know all too well how quickly those can come and go.
It will be on the next general manager to mitigate the constraints ownership puts on its product and make the most of a promising young core.
MORE MLB NEWS
Category: Baseball
