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The Washington Nationals have had a miserable 2025 season. After they were swept by the Boston Red Sox over the July 4th weekend, they fell to 37-53. That was the end of the road for this era of Washington management. Nationals manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo have been fired, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
“BREAKING: The Washington Nationals have fired general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez, sources tell ESPN,” Passan reported.
Martinez and Rizzo were in charge when the Nationals won the 2019 World Series, their only championship. But recent struggles mean the end of the road for the championship duo. Martinez ended his run with a 500-622 record, a 162-game pace of 69.7 wins. He only had two seasons above .500 as the Nats' manager, the 93-win 2019 campaign and the 82-win 2018 season.
Rizzo joined the Nationals as the assistant general manager in 2006 and was promoted to GM in 2013. They made four playoff appearances with Rizzo running the show, including in 2019. Now, a mainstay of the Washington era of the franchise is gone.
There were expectations for the Nationals to make a run in the National League this year. Their young core has made the majors, for the most part, anchored by the return from the Juan Soto trade. James Wood has been phenomenal this year, but it has not been enough to win games in the competitive NL East.
What is next for the Nationals?
According to Passan, Mike DeBartolo will take over as the interim general manager of the Nationals. He was the senior vice president of baseball operations and assistant general manager under Rizzo. The team released a statement where they said they would announce an interim manager on Monday.
“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,” Nationals' principal owner Mark Lerner wrote in the statement.
The firing of Rizzo comes at an interesting time for the Nationals. They won the MLB Draft Lottery and will select first overall on July 13 in Atlanta. DeBartolo was working under Rizzo, so the preparation won't go to waste. They could draft Ethan Holliday, the son of Matt and brother of Jackson, with that first overall pick.
