Consolidated RIZZO/GM DISCUSSION Thread

[sportsfan882]

From MLBTR:
Nationals About To Fire Rizzo, Sources Say
According to Gordon Edes of Yahoo.com, "multiple sources insisted" today that the Nationals are about to replace interim GM Mike Rizzo with Diamondbacks vice president Jerry DiPoto

No way.

Rizzo just made the Strasburg deal happen and has been talking to the media all day about the team and it's future.

[Nathan]

So, what does Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo do for an encore after playing a key role in the signing of designated franchise savior Stephen Strasburg?

Would you believe lose his job?

Multiple sources insisted Tuesday that the Nationals are on the verge of announcing that Arizona Diamondbacks vice president Jerry DiPoto is about to be named Nationals GM, replacing Rizzo, who has been interim GM since replacing Jim Bowden earlier this season.

“It could happen in the next 24 hours,” insisted one major league executive who said he had it on good authority that DiPoto, the former reliever who has overseen Arizona’s pro scouting the last four years, will be hired by Nationals president Stan Kasten.

Kasten is as close-mouthed on the subject as he was on the pursuit of Strasburg, which ended successfully when the San Diego State right-hander agreed to a four-year, $15.1 million deal.

“I am no help on the GM subject,” Kasten wrote in an email Tuesday.

The Nationals have made no announcements during the course of their GM search. Kasten is known to have interviewed Rays VP Gerry Hunsicker, who decided not to pursue the job, and contacted former Twins GM Terry Ryan, who was not interested. He also gave multiple interviews to Theo Epstein’s assistant GM in Boston, Jed Hoyer, believed to be another finalist for the job. A name floated in some circles was former Mets GM Steve Phillips, but he told associates he had no interest because of his job at ESPN.

“I can tell you with all honesty that if this is ‘going down’ it is news to me,” DiPoto wrote in an email Tuesday. ”At this point there really isn’t anything to report that hasn’t already been reported. I will continue to be respectful of their process and patiently wait for their decision.”

Rizzo had been with the Diamondbacks for seven years, primarily as scouting director, when the Lerner family hired him as assistant GM and VP of Baseball Operations after they took over in 2006. The Nationals’ draft in 2007 was ranked as the best in baseball by Baseball America.

When Bowden resigned March 1 in the wake of an investigation that produced skimming allegations connected to the team’s operation in the Dominican Republic, Rizzo became interim GM. In the ensuing months he has engineered some significant roster shuffling, the most notable being the acquisition of outfielder Nyjer Morgan(notes) from Pittsburgh. He also fired manager Manny Acta; under interim Jim Riggleman, the Nationals were 17-14 entering play Tuesday night.

The good relationship Rizzo had established over the years with Strasburg’s adviser, Scott Boras, also held him in good stead during negotiations, leading to a signing many regarded as critical to the credibility of the franchise.

“If they let Mike go now, they really will have some explaining to do,” one Rizzo loyalist said Tuesday. “He changed the face of the club, got some of the bad apples out.”

The Nationals almost certainly will have to make a decision soon. This is the time of year that most clubs are preparing next year’s budgets, and the contracts of most of the key people in scouting and player development come up at the end of October.

Full text of the story from http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ge-fullcount081809&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Doesn't sound like there's that much info to go on for this story.

[sportsfan882]

Debbi asked Kasten about Rizzo's status during the game and he dodged the question.

wow, that would be one of the coldest moves this franchise has ever made to fire Rizzo for no apparent reason.

sucks.

[ZIM4MVP]

I would love to have Jerry DiPoto as a GM, but I think it would be wrong to turn our back on Rizzo now.  This guy stepped into a role that many in baseball would never want to be in and has really turned this ship in the right direction.

[hleeo3]

Nice, there goes all the good PR after signing Strasburg. Now these are the Lerners we all know and love 

[sportsfan882]

I would love to have Jerry DiPoto as a GM, but I think it would be wrong to turn our back on Rizzo now.  This guy stepped into a role that many in baseball would never want to be in and has really turned this ship in the right direction.

yeah DiPoto looks like a young bright mind who could do a good job but I like what we have going on with Rizzo.

[PANatsFan]

Nice, there goes all the good PR after signing Strasburg. Now these are the Lerners we all know and love 

Thanks, unbiasedhomer

[hammondsnats]

please don't be true ... i've really grown to like Rizzo and love what he's done with our drafts/trades.  i understand about cleaning house a bit, but that's what he's been doing.  please keep him.  please.

[UMDNats]

this is why i still hate the lerners. imbeciles.

[skippy1999]

Seriously, Rizzo has been impressive since he took over, this would be a really stupid move.

[hammondsnats]

now this would definitely be classified as a NATS FAIL!

[NatsDad14]

Why not wait until after the season at least to respect Mike Rizzo. I'm not sure about Rizzo. On one hand, he made the Morgan trade. But, this is still the same man who held Clippard in the Minors 2 months too long when he had a historically bad bullpen and this is the same man who traded Beimel and Johnson for basically garbage.

[UMDNats]

Why not wait until after the season at least to respect Mike Rizzo. I'm not sure about Rizzo. On one hand, he made the Morgan trade. But, this is still the same man who held Clippard in the Minors 2 months too long when he had a historically bad bullpen and this is the same man who traded Beimel and Johnson for basically garbage.

Based on the Morgan trade, I'm willing to give him an offseason as the GM, at least. He showed that he can swing a nice deal and at least knows what he wants and can get it.

I chalk up the Clippard deal and the Beimel/Johnson stuff to being a rookie GM. According to reports he got owned at the last minute and made a rookie mistake with Johnson, and with Clippard it's possible he didn't want to rush his only legit RP prospect. He made mistakes, but I think there's reasons for them and those reasons can be fixed. We'll see. Just my opinion.

[DPMOmaha]

Zuckerman's take:

Mike Rizzo was the man on the phone with Scott Boras last night, negotiating the final details of Stephen Strasburg's $15.1 million contract. He was the point man for the Nationals, no one else. And today he was the guy being trotted out by the organization to take credit and accept praise for getting the deal done, doing a host of interviews all afternoon and evening.

So it doesn't really make much sense that there are rumors swirling about a pending decision from the Nationals to name Diamondbacks VP Jerry Dipoto as their permanent GM instead of Rizzo. Dipoto is one of three people I've been told has been strongly considered for the GM job, along with Rizzo and Jed Hoyer of the Red Sox. But I have to say, I just can't see the Nats making that decision this week in the wake of the Strasburg signing.

For one thing, the timing would be horrible and ruin whatever goodwill this club has built up in the last month. For another thing, it would be an absolute slap in the face of Rizzo, who since taking over March 1 has done nothing wrong and indeed has done a great number of impressive things to make this franchise more competitive. He has been lauded across the sport for his acquisition of Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett, for his remaking of the Nats bullpen, and most importantly for his ability to restore the Nats' good name around baseball. He has brought respectability back to this organization.

Now, Dipoto is an attractive candidate and is seen as a strong GM-in-waiting. And perhaps it would make sense to hire him in Washington ... but at the end of the season, not now.

There's another factor in all this, one that was pointed out to me earlier this evening by someone who knows the Nats front office well. The GM decision can't really be made until Stan Kasten has decided whether to remain as team president or not. There haven't been many rumors lately about Kasten's potential departure, and certainly there's reason to believe he's going to stick around here a while longer. And if he stays, this person believes, Rizzo likely gets the GM job. If Kasten were to leave, though, then whoever the new team president was would have to have the final say on a GM.

Take that all into consideration, and I just don't see an outside candidate being formally named GM in the immediate future. The Nats have waited this long. Why not just wait til the end of the season?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/chatter/2009/aug/18/the-gm-question/

[Blueliner]

Some talk is that Dodgers assistant GM, Kim Ng, is going to be the leading candidate for the job.  Ng was the Yankees assistant GM before going to the Dodgers.

[JMW IV]

I swear, DiPoto has ALWAYS been the pick. the entire time.

I've been seeing his name pop up in Nats GM rumors for months now. here and there, just little blurbs. I get the feeling that they made their minds up months ago to hire Dipoto, but they were just waiting until after the draft signings to do it.

the Lerners must really be infatuated with this guy.  I know pretty much nothing about the guy, and I don't understand why he's so special.....

Firing Rizzo now, in this manner is all kinds of wrong. not because he's the best GM ever, but because it shows a simple lack of respect for all the good he's done with this crapfest of a team he inherited.

if you are going to replace Rizzo, do in a classy manner. this is not classy.

[hammondsnats]

I swear, DiPoto has ALWAYS been the pick. the entire time.

I've been seeing his name pop up in Nats GM rumors for months now. here and there, just little blurbs. I get the feeling that they made their minds up months ago to hire Dipoto, but they were just waiting until after the draft signings to do it.

the Lerners must really be infatuated with this guy.  I know pretty much nothing about the guy, and I don't understand why he's so special.....

Firing Rizzo now, in this manner is all kinds of wrong. not because he's the best GM ever, but because it shows a simple lack of respect for all the good he's done with this crapfest of a team he inherited.

if you are going to replace Rizzo, do in a classy manner. this is not classy.

yeah.  nothing really needs to be added to what you said.  i'll be sad to see rizzo go and i think the guys in the clubhouse would be too.  i think he's done a stand up job really.

it's almost like the way they dumped out frank a few years back. 

[hammondsnats]

here's the post blub:

Report: DiPoto Could Be Next Nats GM

For the last six months, Mike Rizzo has led the Washington Nationals through a significant roster transformation, and in the last few weeks, he successfully handled negotiations with Stephen Strasburg, signing the No. 1 pick in perhaps the biggest victory of his front office career. But less than 24 hours later, Rizzo is the subject of a Yahoo Sports report suggesting that he will lose his position as acting general manager. According to the report, which cites multiple unnamed sources, the Nationals will soon announce the Arizona Diamondbacks' Jerry DiPoto as their next permanent general manager.

Nationals President Stan Kasten did not return phone messages or an e-mail seeking comment late Tuesday night. Kasten had recently narrowed his finalists for the permanent job to a list that included Rizzo, DiPoto and Boston assistant general manager Jed Hoyer.

DiPoto and Rizzo did not return calls seeking comment.

DiPoto is currently in his first season as Arizona's vice president of player personnel and his fourth season overall overseeing the team's pro scouting operation.

If DiPoto obtains the job, it would shock many employees in Washington's current front office, many of whom had assumed that Rizzo's performance in recent weeks -- especially with Strasburg -- would all but guarantee him the job. Kasten, after the Strasburg negotiations were completed, joked with Rizzo that he had just dispensed the largest sum of money in amateur history. "That's going to look great on your resume," Kasten said in jest.

Rizzo, who has dealt frequently with Scott Boras during his career, emerged from the Strasburg negotiations with the agent's full respect. "Rizzo knows his [stuff]," Boras said. "He has a gut for [evaluating players]."

Rizzo, as acting general manager, has restocked the team's once-horrific bullpen and pulled of a four-player deal with Pittsburgh that netted the team outfielder Nyjer Morgan and reliever Sean Burnett. He also traded first baseman Nick Johnson and reliever Sean Burnett just minutes before the July 31 trading deadline.

i can't see rizzo getting let go.

[JMW IV]

I can see Chico getting let go though. Rizzo traded Joe Beimel. not Sean burnett.

I know all left-handers look alike, but...

anyway, this was added onto the MLBTR entry:

DiPoto, who has been in charge of the Diamondbacks' pro scouting for four years, denied any knowledge that such a job change was imminent.

this could be a case of Yahoo writers just making up whatever crap they can to make the Nats look bad..which is generally what Yahoo sports does.

[hammondsnats]

this could be a case of Yahoo writers just making up whatever crap they can to make the Nats look bad..which is generally what Yahoo sports does.

yahoo is known to do that for sure.

and haha burnett x2.

[cmdterps44]

This would be freaked up in more ways than one.

[GMUTrkstar]

K this is just speculation but what if as Zuckerman speculated, Kasten will not be back next year. Then Rizzo could become Team President and Dipoto would be his GM hire?

[Lintyfresh85]

Why would Rizzo give up the GM job that he wants so much to become President?

There's no way Dipoto and Rizzo are with the Nationals next year.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

I guarantee this issue is being way overrated by people and whether Rizzo, DiPoto, or Corey Feldman is in the chair next season, you'll all still be here.

[sportsfan882]

I guarantee this issue is being way overrated by people and whether Rizzo, DiPoto, or Corey Feldman is in the chair next season, you'll all still be here.

you don't think is freaked up?

would send the wrong message to everyone.

How would SS feel? The guy that negotiated his deal for the Nats is fired a week later. Where's the stability?

What has Rizzo done to warrant a firing?

And why now?