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The Washington Nationals fired longtime General Manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez on Sunday night, amid yet another disappointing season. The move came after the Nationals were swept by the Boston Red Sox and dropped to an abysmal 37-53 record, the third-worst in Major League Baseball behind only the Chicago White Sox and the Colorado Rockies.
“On behalf of our family and the Washington Nationals organization, I first and foremost want to thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and our city,” team owner Mark D. Lerner said.
“Our family is eternally grateful for their years of dedication to the organization, including their roles in bringing a World Series trophy to Washington, D.C. While we are appreciative of their past successes, the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. This is a pivotal time for our Club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward.”
Rizzo, who had been with the Nationals since 2006 and led their baseball operations for 17 seasons, acknowledged his exit with a measured but pointed statement.
“The sun will come up tomorrow,” Mike Rizzo told The Washington Post. “That’s the job. I had a great run. Navigated that ownership group for almost 20 years.”
The final line, referencing the Lerner family ownership, was a subtle jab at the organization that oversaw his dismissal.
Under Rizzo’s tenure, the Nationals transitioned from a perennial bottom-feeder to World Series champions in 2019. Washington enjoyed eight straight winning seasons from 2012 to 2019 and secured four NL East titles.
Mike Rizzo was instrumental in assembling the core roster, acquiring Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner, and Max Scherzer. The signing of Jayson Werth in 2010 and a $245 million deal with Strasburg in 2019 were important, though the latter ultimately backfired due to Strasburg’s injuries and early retirement.
Martinez, hired in 2017, departed as the winningest manager in franchise history with a 500-622 record. His crowning achievement was leading the Nationals to their first World Series title in 2019, famously turning around a 19-31 start into a championship run.
However, he reportedly drew criticism within the clubhouse during a recent 11-game losing streak by attributing the slump to players instead of the coaching staff.
Since their 2019 title, the Nationals have endured six straight losing seasons. Key trades during their rebuild, including dealing Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Dodgers in 2021 and Juan Soto to the Padres in 2022, brought back promising young players like CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, and James Wood.
While Gore and Wood have shown promise, the team’s broader rebuild efforts have been hampered by underwhelming draft returns and limited player development.
Washington entered June with a competitive 28-30 record, but a collapse led to a 7-19 finish for the month. The firing decision was also likely influenced by contractual deadlines related to 2026 club options for both Rizzo and Martinez, as reported by USA Today.
Assistant GM Mike DeBartolo has been named interim general manager, with an announcement on the interim manager expected shortly. DeBartolo has been with the franchise since 2012 and was promoted to AGM in 2019. He will oversee crucial decisions, including the July 31 trade deadline and the upcoming MLB Draft, where the Nationals hold the first overall pick.
