Despite their current 59-84 record, the Washington Nationals are still fighting. The leadership duo of GM Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez were fired earlier this season. The Nationals are currently being led by interim general manager Mike DeBartolo and interim manager Miguel Cairo. In an effort to determine Rizzo's permanent successor, Washington's ownership and top brass have begun interviewing his replacement. According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale on X (formerly Twitter), Chicago Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins is on the team's shortlist.
“The Washington Nationals have begun interviewing GM candidates after firing Mike Rizzo in July,” reported Nightengale. “He was replaced on an interim basis with Mike DeBartolo. Chicago Cubs GM Carter Hawkins is on the Nationals short list.”
While Hawkins is the Cubs general manager, he doesn't run baseball operations. That task falls to Chicago president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, who recently signed a contract extension. It's unlikely that Hawkins will lead the Cubs' baseball ops department any time soon. In Washington, he would have the opportunity to rebuild a roster as he sees fit. If the Nationals and Hawkins can work out a deal, would he leave Chicago's South Side?
Nationals need new leadership to help shape the team's rebuild
For almost 17 seasons, Rizzo was the Nationals' general manager. For the final 13 years of his reign, Rizzo was also president of baseball operations. While DeBartolo, his interim replacement, could stay on as the long-term general manager, a new voice is needed to lead baseball operations. Could Hawkins be that voice?
It's likely that Hawkins would share a lot of the same ideals that Hoyer has in team building. Both executives learned under the legendary curse-breaker, Theo Epstein. In Washington, Hawkins would truly have a chance to run his own franchise. It's likely that he would also hire his own GM, someone that will work in tandem with the current Cubbies general manger to rebuild the Nationals into a perennial postseason contender. Will the Washington brain trust decide that Hawkins is the right man to lead their rebuild moving forward? Or will someone else, like DeBartolo, take the helm?
