Rizzo Renewed by Marky Mark & the In-Laws

[IanRubbish]

[Kevrock]

"Hopefully we'll invest in the roster."


Yea ... there it is.

One of the only real takeaways from the PR interview. Man, that was telling.

The other was that while he defended Davey, he absolutely didn’t take firing him off the table when asked directly.

[Smithian]

One of the only real takeaways from the PR interview. Man, that was telling.

The other was that while he defended Davey, he absolutely didn’t take firing him off the table when asked directly.

I sort of expect him going at the end of this homestand. If he survives the end of the West Coast swing, I'll assume he is here until the end of the year.

I am under no false impression that firing Martinez fixes this. It would just be admitting real changes need to happen.

[Slateman]

One of the only real takeaways from the PR interview. Man, that was telling.

The other was that while he defended Davey, he absolutely didn’t take firing him off the table when asked directly.

It really is. Rizzo has been talking about this all season and offseason.

Go ahead, fire Martinez. Fire Rizzo. It won't matter as long as this ownership group is here. Actually, it will probably be worse. There is no way whoever they bring in will get as good as a trade package for Wood and Gore as Rizzo has done.

[IanRubbish]

There is no way whoever they bring in will get as good as a trade package for Wood and Gore as Rizzo has done.

But they would draft and develop far better, and Rizzo's had his share of bad trades - including Max and Trea.  Moreover, Gore's got just two opportunities left here to play on a winning team before he becomes a Yankee/Met/Phillie/Dodger.  Rizzo was also super defensive this morning about all the "home grown" guys on the roster.  Issue is that most of them are mediocre, they haven't improved the team, and would be in AAA in other organizations. 

[wj73]

I think Chelsea Janes put it well a few days ago:

  “. . . it is arguable that the Nationals should not be building a roster so reliant on the improvement of players who have not proved they can improve. Roster construction is Rizzo’s purview.“

Gift article:


https://wapo.st/3FRapfv

[Slateman]

But they would draft and develop far better, and Rizzo's had his share of bad trades - including Max and Trea.  Moreover, Gore's got just two opportunities left here to play on a winning team before he becomes a Yankee/Met/Phillie/Dodger.  Rizzo was also super defensive this morning about all the "home grown" guys on the roster.  Issue is that most of them are mediocre, they haven't improved the team, and would be in AAA in other organizations. 

Who is it you think the Lerners are going to bring in? They won't bring in anyone decent, because no one decent would work for them. And that person will get even less budget to devote to scouting and player development.

And Rizzo has, far and away, won the vast majority of his trades.

As long as the current ownership exists, the organization will not improve.

[Smithian]

Who is it you think the Lerners are going to bring in? They won't bring in anyone decent, because no one decent would work for them. And that person will get even less budget to devote to scouting and player development.

And Rizzo has, far and away, won the vast majority of his trades.

As long as the current ownership exists, the organization will not improve.

There are only 30 of these jobs. There'd be a line out the door of candidates. Every GM is unproven until they are.

[Slateman]

There are only 30 of these jobs. There'd be a line out the door of candidates. Every GM is unproven until they are.

Lol, do you think the Lerners would pick anyone even remotely decent?

They'll go to teams like Tampa or Cleveland, find some assistant to the assistant GM so they can pay them peanuts, then cut their scouting and development budget in half, and then make sure they say the company line about building a competitive team.

We will be the Pirates/Marlins.

[rileyn]

Lol, do you think the Lerners would pick anyone even remotely decent?

They'll go to teams like Tampa or Cleveland, find some assistant to the assistant GM so they can pay them peanuts, then cut their scouting and development budget in half, and then make sure they say the company line about building a competitive team.

We will be the Pirates/Marlins.

We already are.  The last 6 years are as bad as it gets.  We need a complete refresh from this regime.  You sound like the Lerner's wanting to keep the status quo.

[Kevrock]

I’m with Slate. If the Lerners roll in a new head of baseball right now it will likely be a disaster. I have zero confidence in their ability to nail the hire, and it won’t matter if they don’t invest behind the hire.

It also doesn’t make sense at all if they are going to sell the team within the next couple years. GMs are a long term investment and buyers will want to make their own determination.

[Kevrock]

We already are.  The last 6 years are as bad as it gets.  We need a complete refresh from this regime.  You sound like the Lerner's wanting to keep the status quo.

Obvious difference is that we are rebuilding. They aren’t rebuilding as they were never built.

[Natsinpwc]

You fire Rizzo and Martinez and then bring in some smart baseball guy on a temp basis to assess the organization and hire its leaders.  Like a Pat Gillidk type.  Not sure the current owners are bright enough to do that.  Or you can do like Leonsis did after Ernie was fired and hire consultants who will tell you what you want to hear.  And end up with Ernie’s assistant. And the same results.  It will be incredibly important to do this correctly.   

[Smithian]

Lol, do you think the Lerners would pick anyone even remotely decent?

They'll go to teams like Tampa or Cleveland, find some assistant to the assistant GM so they can pay them peanuts, then cut their scouting and development budget in half, and then make sure they say the company line about building a competitive team.

We will be the Pirates/Marlins.

I’m with Slate. If the Lerners roll in a new head of baseball right now it will likely be a disaster. I have zero confidence in their ability to nail the hire, and it won’t matter if they don’t invest behind the hire.

It also doesn’t make sense at all if they are going to sell the team within the next couple years. GMs are a long term investment and buyers will want to make their own determination.

Okay. You can be sports nihilist and say nothing matters. Probably right. But I like talking baseball, so I'll be interested in who they hire and keep an optimistic outlook until proven wrong.

It's a game. We can view it different ways.

[IanRubbish]

do you think the Lerners would pick anyone even remotely decent?

I agree they'd go for a budget hire.  But this is already an unmitigated disaster.  It would be hard to be much worse than this team has been since 2020, and whatever you think of Rizzo's trades, they haven't made the team better, made up for the poor drafting and development, or improved an awful culture.  His comment this morning that the Pirates not winning the WS since We Are Family, and the Rockies never winning shows how he thinks his job is to defend his poor record with the culture of foolishness that runs deep in this org.  The Giants won 3 WS last decade, a 101 games in 2021, and still fired the GM and manager as they should have.  Getting rid of Rizzo would be like removing a tumor from a sick patient.  Might not be a full recovery, but can still make a positive difference.

[welch]

The Nats cannot fire the players, but maybe they should. The players have not hit and the pitchers have been awful. Davey was right when he exploded. So he has to be fired because he "lost the clubhouse"? Now it looks like the players won't take responsibility to correct their blunders. The catcher still swings at pitches in the dirt. The second baseman can it, but not when the game is tight. Gore is the only reliable starter. This team plays like the 1959 Senators, if those old Nats had had only one home run hitter.

It is the Lerners.

[Slateman]

We already are.  The last 6 years are as bad as it gets.  We need a complete refresh from this regime.  You sound like the Lerner's wanting to keep the status quo.

Yes, I want to go back to the status quo where ownership gives proper resources to a GM who won 4 division titles and a World Series in an 8 year period.

[Kevrock]

Okay. You can be sports nihilist and say nothing matters. Probably right. But I like talking baseball, so I'll be interested in who they hire and keep an optimistic outlook until proven wrong.

It's a game. We can view it different ways.

I don’t understand your post as a response to mine. I never said the GM isn’t important, but I don’t think the timing is right to make a change of this magnitude.

It’s hard to even talk about this with a potential sale hanging over the team. But it makes no sense to hire a new GM for a year or two. Ideally, new ownership group comes in and meets with Rizzo and determines if they have a shared vision for the next 5 years. Then we go from there.

[Slateman]

I don't think the Lerners are selling anymore. I think this franchise is now the lifeboat for their founding real estate empire

[imref]

I don't think the Lerners are selling anymore. I think this franchise is now the lifeboat for their founding real estate empire

There have been numerous reports, including from Leonsis, that the Nats are no longer for sale.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

So the status for the foreseeable future is "cash cow" to maintain liquidity for the family. Milk the cash out and stop investing.

[Slateman]

So the status for the foreseeable future is "cash cow" to maintain liquidity for the family. Milk the cash out and stop investing.

Yep. I'm predicting that they've used the franchise as leverage for loans.

[HalfSmokes]

I used to think it was the best show on DC radio around 2000.  I remember Don and Mike imitating them and their Maryland accents "Hey Cakes, it's a shooeew", "EB, you are hurrrting".  But now they just toss softball questions to Rizzo and let him um and uh propaganda for five minutes.   The content is bad enough and then Rizzo has a harder time finishing a sentence than he does building a winning baseball team.

Like Don and Mike, the Junkies were good. Then they lasted too long and now they’re caricatures of themselves

[Slateman]

Like Don and Mike, the Junkies were good. Then they lasted too long and now they’re caricatures of themselves

For the money they make, I'd make a caricature of myself

[PowerBoater69]

Rizzo's defense of Martinez was to blame the fans for over reacting, he said that Davey's comments "ruffled feathers" among the fans while denying any unrest in the clubhouse. Maybe Rizzo should look at all the empty blue seats around the ballpark and realized that when you ruffle feathers the birds fly away.