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MLBTR Podcast: Firings in Washington, Bad Braves, And An AL East Shake-Up

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images

Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez

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The Nationals have made an in-season shake-up of their organization, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez have both been fired.  The Nats have confirmed the news, and announced that assistant GM Mike DeBartolo will be the team’s interim general manager for the remainder of the season.  An interim manager to replace Martinez will be determined tomorrow.

“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.  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.” managing principal owner Mark Lerner said in an official statement from the team.  “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.”

The news comes on the heels of Washington’s 6-4 loss to the Red Sox today, which dropped the Nats to a dismal 37-53 for the season.  Only the White Sox and Rockies have won fewer games than the Nationals, who are on pace for their sixth straight losing season since winning the 2019 World Series.  James Wood and MacKenzie Gore are enjoying breakout seasons and CJ Abrams is delivering big for the second straight year, but virtually the entire rest of the Nationals roster has underachieved in what was supposed more of a step-forward season in the club’s rebuild.

Given this backdrop, it isn’t surprising that Nationals ownership has chosen to make a fresh start, even if the specific timing is a little surprising.  Some contractual language was also likely at play, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that the middle of July loomed as a deadline for the organization to decide whether or not to exercise club options on Rizzo and Martinez for the 2026 season.  It was known that Martinez’s last extension contained a club option for 2026, and while the specific terms of Rizzo’s last extension weren’t publicly revealed, it makes sense that his deal would line up timeline-wise with Martinez’s contract.

DeBartolo has been with the Nationals organization since starting as an intern with the team in 2012, and he worked his way up the management ladder to the AGM position prior to the 2019 season.  While most teams promote from within for interim positions, keeping some continuity in place is particularly important in this case given how the Nationals hold the first overall pick in next weekend’s MLB Draft, plus the club has plenty of important decisions to make on the selling front for the July 31 trade deadline.

Rizzo’s tenure with the Nationals ends just short of 19 years, as he was hired as an assistant GM in July 2006.  Rizzo himself was named to an interim GM role when Jim Bowden resigned as general manager just prior to the start of the 2009 season, and Rizzo was promoted to the full-time GM job that August.  Washington lost 103 games in 2009 in the low point of another rebuild, yet Rizzo overall a successful rebuild and franchise overhaul that turned the Nationals into consistent contenders for much of the next decade.

Bottoming out helped the Nationals land the first overall pick in both the 2009 (Stephen Strasburg) and 2010 (Bryce Harper) drafts, so there’s some irony in Rizzo being fired so close to Washington getting to make another top selection.  Taking Anthony Rendon sixth overall in 2011 added to this new core of talent, though Rizzo and the Nationals already announced their intention to compete a little earlier when Jayson Werth was signed to a seven-year, $126MM free agent deal during the 2010-11 offseason.

This bold move from a last-place team was one of many headline-grabbing transactions Rizzo swung over the years, as the Nationals made more big free agent investments in such players as Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin.  Trea Turner was a major trade acquisition as a prospect who developed into a star infielder, and Juan Soto’s emergence from international prospect to immediate superstar added to the all-around roster creation that culminated in the 2019 World Series title.  That championship capped off a run of eight straight winning seasons for Washington from 2012-19, and four NL East crowns (though the Nats made it into the 2019 playoffs as a wild card team).

Martinez’s hiring was also a key element in finally getting the Nationals over the top.  The longtime former player and coach was a first-time skipper when he was hired following the 2017 season, and Martinez had big shoes to fill in taking over from Dusty Baker.  It took a while for things to fully click for Martinez, as the Nats were only 82-80 in 2018, and then got off to a 19-31 start in 2019 before turning things around in historic fashion.

Since the 2019 championship, of course, the Nationals have fallen into disrepair.  While the club was willing to let such notables as Harper and Rendon walk, the decision to re-sign Strasburg to a seven-year, $245MM contract proved disastrous, as arm injuries limited Strasburg to only 31 1/3 big league innings over the course of the deal, and forced the right-hander into premature retirement.  Strasburg’s issues proved symbolic for the Nationals’ struggles as a whole, and the club turned into another rebuild period.

Trading Scherzer and Turner to the Dodgers at the 2021 deadline brought Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz to Washington, but the 2022 deadline blockbuster deal that sent Soto to the Padres may well have built the foundation of the Nationals’ next era of winning baseball, even if Rizzo and Martinez won’t be present to see it.  The Soto deal brought Wood, Gore, Abrams, Robert Hassell III and Jarlin Susana, all in one fell swoop, which already stands as an incredible haul even with Hassell or Susana yet to show anything at the MLB level.

That single trade aside, however, papered over some of the flaws in the Nationals’ rebuild plan.  The amount of talent coming through the draft and international signing market slowed to a crawl, and Rizzo overhauled his scouting and player developments a few years ago in an attempt to address the problem.  Ruiz was signed to an eight-year, $50MM extension prior to the 2023, yet the catcher hasn’t become the building block the front office had hoped.  Injuries to Gray and Cade Cavalli also hampered the club’s ability to re-establish its rotation depth, as Gore stands as the only clear-cut success story on the pitching front.

It should be noted that this year’s Nationals entered June with a respectable 28-30 record, so it seemed like some hope was the horizon for a potential return to at least the .500 mark, if not wild card contention.  However, an 11-game losing streak led to a 7-19 record in June, and Martinez reportedly upset the clubhouse when he seemingly put the blame for the losing streak on the players rather than the coaching staff.  Martinez now moves on with a 500-622 record to show for his eight-year run as Washington’s skipper.

As noted in my recent Nationals-centric Trade Deadline Outlook piece (for MLBTR Front Office subscribers), it seemed like Washington was likely going to play it safe at this year’s deadline, with a focus just on moving impending veteran free agents.  Today’s news may keep that speculative plan in place, if DeBartolo doesn’t want to rock the boat too much, or if ownership perhaps wants to save any bigger-picture decisions for the next president of baseball ops — whether DeBaroto himself in a promotion, or perhaps a new voice from outside the organization.

Whomever takes over the Nationals’ front office will inherit some tremendous young talents, since some of the heavy lifting has already been done with Wood, Abrams, and Gore in place for at least the next two seasons (Gore is a free agent after the 2027 campaign).  It could be that the hiring of a new top executive may extend the rebuild a little further if a new PBO wants to again shuffle the front office staff around and bring in some fresh blood, which may not be what Washington fans want to hear after six years of losing baseball.  There is also the lingering question of when the Lerner family is willing to start increasing the Nats’ payroll, or perhaps if the Lerners may still be considering a sale of the team after spending almost two years exploring the market.

Nats GM On Martinez, Losing Streak, Ruiz, Cavalli

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Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo made his weekly appearance on the Sports Junkies show on 106.7 FM The Fan this morning and discussed a wide range of topics, beginning (and focusing most heavily) on recent comments from his manager Davey Martinez and the team’s 10-game losing streak (audio link to full show, with Rizzo’s interview commencing around the 2 hour, 24 minute mark). He also touched on key differences between the 2019 Nats’ early struggles and the current team’s struggles, things he’d like to see from catcher Keibert Ruiz, and on former top prospect Cade Cavalli’s progress in the minors. It’s a broad-reaching interview full of lengthy and candid answers that Nats fans, in particular, will want to check out in full.

Martinez found himself at the center of some controversy in recent days, in large part due to contradictory statements on back-to-back days over the weekend. Speaking with the Nationals beat on Saturday, Martinez adamantly defended his coaching staff before suggesting that the onus for turning around amid such a lengthy losing streak falls to the players. The next day, Martinez suggested he was merely voicing support for his coaching staff and claimed, confoundingly, that he’d never mentioned his players. Per Andrew Golden of the Washington Post, Martinez’s lack of accountability for his comments left some players “pissed [off].”

Via the Post’s Spencer Nusbaum, Martinez stated the following on Saturday:

“Sometimes they got to go out there and they got to play the game. It’s always been about the players. Always. I played this game a long time. Never once have I blamed a coach for anything. [As players], we worked our asses off to get better. They gave us information, and we used it. These guys understand what the game is. … Sometimes you got to put the onus on the players. They got to go out there, and they got to play the game — and play the game the right way. We can’t hit for them. We can’t catch the balls for them. We can’t pitch for them. We can’t throw strikes for them. They got to do that.”

A day later, when asked about his comments and pressed further who he was referencing if not his players, he replied:

“Was never about them, right? I never mentioned anything about players, right? I appreciate those players. I played. I understand how hard this game is. They know that. So it’s a difficult game. These guys are out there trying hard. We got to do the little things. As I talked about, we start doing little things, we’ll start winning some of these games.”

Certainly, Martinez is in an unenviable spot. His team is mired in its worst losing streak since dropping a dozen straight games back in 2008, under a different manager, coaching staff and front office. Balancing the desire to voice support for his coaching staff while rallying his players and holding everyone accountable for the team’s struggles — all while facing mounting speculation about your own job security — is a tough task.

At the same time, it’s understandable if some players were irked — not necessarily even by being called out but by Martinez’s apparent unwillingness to take ownership of those comments just 24 hours later. The longtime Nats skipper, who won a World Series there in 2019, made clear Sunday that he’d “talked to a lot of [his players]” already and suggested there were no issues. Golden’s subsequent reporting, which cited “multiple” anonymous sources familiar with the situation, suggests otherwise. It’s possible — if not likely — that the set of comments hit different players differently. Some likely had an easier time shrugging things off than others.

There’s been plenty of speculation about Martinez, who’s reportedly in the final guaranteed year of his contract (although the Nats hold a 2026 option over him as well). Rizzo noted that if given the chance to do it again, Martinez “would have gotten his point across — which was ’support the coaches’ — in a smoother or better way that didn’t ruffle the feathers of the fan base.”

However, the GM opined that the story took on more life among fans and the media than in the clubhouse itself. Rizzo stated that he doesn’t “see any unrest or unhappiness” among his players and added that Martinez talked things over with the players following his comments. More broadly, he gave Martinez a rather resounding vote of confidence.

“Dave Martinez is as player-friendly a manager as I’ve ever had. He and Dusty Baker, to me, run the clubhouse like no one else I’ve ever had in my career. … This guy does 500, 600 interviews a year; he does two a day — pre-game, post-game, every time. He got caught in a frustrating, angry moment and kind of lashed out. I think it was out of frustration. Here’s my take on that situation. There’s onus on the players. There’s onus on the coaches. There’s onus on the manager, and there’s a great onus on the general manager to do a better job.

“…To me, Davey is the same manager in the clubhouse when there’s no cameras and there’s no media in the room. He’s the same guy he was in that Marlins series [this weekend] as he was on Oct. 30, 2019. Same guy.”

It’s clear based on Rizzo’s comments today that the Nationals’ 2019 World Series victory carries plenty of weight in his regard for Martinez — understandably so. The GM noted that at the time of Washington’s 19-31 start in 2019, there were also calls for Martinez’s job. While acknowledging and empathizing with the frustration the fan base feels, he stressed that it’s his job to take a “big picture” look and keep in mind the “entirety of a season” that still has more than three months remaining.

“My job as the leader of the organization is that when things are at their craziest and most stressful, I have to be at my calmest and my best,” said Rizzo. “When things are at their worst, I have to be at my best. That’s my message that I gave to our coaching staff the other day.”

Rizzo repeatedly dismissed the notion that there was pressure from ownership to make personnel changes in the front office or dugout. He spoke at length about the differences between the 2019 Nats — a veteran-laden team that engineered one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent MLB history — and the 2025 Nats, a young team where the average level of major league service time per player isn’t even three years. Through it all, he maintained confidence in his skipper and continued to place blame back on himself.

“[Martinez] has proven through trials and tribulations that he can handle a roster. He can handle a veteran-laden team, and now he’s developing at the big league level. My track record is, I have fired managers midseason, I’ve fired managers after the season, I’ve fired coaches midseason, I’ve fired coaches after the season. We’re all being evaluated. We’ve all got to look ourselves in the mirror. We’re at a point right now where we’re moving forward the development of these young kids. I think Davey still has the pulse of the clubhouse. He’s a great clubhouse presence. He’s a calming clubhouse presence.

I’m responsible with everything that goes on, the good and the bad, the 10-game losing streak — that’s my team that I put out there. I take responsibility for the successes and the failures of this franchise, and I think that’s what leaders do.”

Turning to more specific issues with the roster, Rizzo was asked about catcher Keibert Ruiz’s declining defensive grades since signing his eight-year, $50MM contract extension. The GM made no secret that he feels his catcher “needs to get back to where he was,” plainly opining that Ruiz “was a better catcher, thrower and blocker” earlier in his career. Rizzo called catcher a “beatdown position” that takes a physical toll on any player and suggested that Ruiz is feeling some of those effects.

Defensive metrics bear that out. Ruiz, 27 next month, drew strong defensive marks from scouts as a prospect and posted quality numbers early on in the majors. In 2022, his first full season in the majors, the former top prospect posted a 28.2% caught-stealing rate that checked in four percentage points better than average and drew positive blocking grades from Statcast. His framing drew below-average but not egregiously poor marks. For a then-23-year-old catcher who’d slashed .255/.315/.373 (94 wRC+) in his career — all at a time when most young catchers are still in the minors — it was a nice start.

Things have subsequently deteriorated, with Ruiz hitting .241/.286/.374 since. He showed more power in 2023-24, but in 2025 Ruiz has just two homers, a .252/.286/.322 batting line (71 wRC+) and dramatically worse defensive grades. Dating back to Opening Day 2023, Ruiz has -18 Defensive Runs Saved and a -36 Fielding Run Value from Statcast. He led the league in stolen bases allowed in 2023 and is doing so again in 2025 — although he also leads the NL in total runners thrown out this year (in part because teams seem so willing to run on him). Rizzo expressed optimism that an offensive turnaround was nigh, pointing to the fact that Ruiz has typically been a much better performer in the season’s second half.

Again, data bears that out, but it’ll be interesting to see how the organization’s valuation of Ruiz changes if his struggles at the plate continue — particularly with his defensive regression. He’s still signed through 2030, but not at such a significant annual rate that they can’t make a change if they feel such a move is warranted.

On young righty Cade Cavalli, who’s pitching in Triple-A and has completed his rehab from 2023 Tommy John surgery, Rizzo suggested the goal is to get the former top prospect to the point where he can consistently contribute five or six innings at a time in the majors. The 26-year-old boasts a 2.30 ERA and 28.3% strikeout rate over his past six starts but has thrown just 27 1/3 innings in that time (less than 4 2/3 innings per outing). Presumably, Cavalli will get a look back in the majors later this summer, but after he pitched just 8 1/3 innings total in 2023-24, the Nats seem to be treading lightly. Cavalli tossed 79 pitches in his most recent start, and that represents his most in any game this year.

Nationals Agree To Multi-Year Extension With Mike Rizzo

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The Nationals announced this morning that they’ve agreed to terms on a multi-year contract extension with president of baseball operations and GM Mike Rizzo. The sides were reported as close to an agreement when manager Dave Martinez extended with the club on a two-year deal with a club option for 2026 late last month.

Rizzo, 62, has been part of the Nationals organization since 2006. He’s been at the helm of Washington’s baseball operations since 2009, and now figures to continue in that role for the foreseeable future, though the exact length of the deal has not yet been reported. Rizzo guided the club through eight consecutive winning seasons from 2012-2019, a stretch that including five postseason appearances with a World Series championship in 2019.

Recent years have been far less kind to Washington, however, as the club has finished in last place in the NL East in three consecutive seasons and is currently trending toward a fourth in 2023 with a 65-80 record. The downturn in production was thanks not only to the departure of key players like Bryce Harper prior to the 2019 season and Anthony Rendon the following winter, but also a pair of ill-fated big money contracts; both left-hander Patrick Corbin and homegrown ace Stephen Strasburg haven’t panned out since the club’s championship in 2019, with Strasburg throwing just 31 1/3 big league innings since and Corbin posting a brutal 5.61 ERA in 102 starts over the past four seasons.

With the team’s performance declining and over $300MM owed to Corbin and Strasburg in the coming years, Rizzo made the decision to kickstart the club’s current rebuild back in 2021. In doing so, he dealt not only short term rental pieces like Kyle Schwarber and Jon Lester but also franchise cornerstones Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. A year following that 2021 sell-off, Rizzo pulled the trigger on a trade of young superstar Juan Soto, shipping him to the Padres for a package of prospects and young players.

Difficult as the past few seasons have been for Nationals fans, the future is bright for an organization now brimming with young talent. MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, James Wood, Robert Hassell, Keibert Ruiz, Lane Thomas, and Josiah Gray were all added to the organization at the trade deadline in recent seasons, while the draft has produced top talents like Dylan Crews and Brady House. Today’s extension announcement is not only a vote of confidence from ownership in Rizzo’s leadership, but an opportunity for Rizzo to personally see the fruits of the recent rebuild begin to manifest in the coming years.

Stephen Strasburg’s Retirement Press Conference Canceled

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September 8: Nationals owner Mark Lerner released a statement on the situation this afternoon (via Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic). Lerner confirmed that the sides had discussed a potential retirement presser internally but added that “no such event was ever confirmed by the team.” Lerner said that reports had “mischaracterized” the situation.

At the same time, the owner’s statement implied that a formal retirement was not imminent. He concluded by saying the team “(looks) forward to seeing Stephen when (they) report to Spring Training.” It seems they plan to carry him on the 40-man roster throughout the winter.

September 7: Two weeks ago, the Washington Post reported that Stephen Strasburg was retiring. While the three-time All-Star didn’t make a public announcement, the Nationals scheduled a press conference for September 9 to honor his career and retire his #37.

That is unexpectedly off, reports Britt Ghiroli of the Athletic (Twitter links). Ghiroli suggests that’s because of a disagreement between Strasburg and the organization on the player’s contract. According to Ghiroli, the team initially proposed that Strasburg would be paid in full before backtracking and seeking to change the terms of his retirement.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes that the Nats informed Strasburg and his representatives at the Boras Corporation on Thursday afternoon that they didn’t want to honor the retirement agreement. According to Nightengale, the team didn’t provide Strasburg with an explanation for their change of heart.

The Nationals have not commented on the matter. On the surface, their about-face seems a baffling course of action. Strasburg’s planned retirement was driven by an ongoing battle with thoracic outlet syndrome, which has kept him to eight MLB appearances in the last four years (only one since the start of 2022). Reports have indicated that Strasburg’s TOS has interfered with basic tasks such as opening doors and holding his young children, so there’s no public indication he’s in any better position to pitch at the major league level than he would have been a few weeks ago.

That makes it a puzzling choice for the organization to attempt to renegotiate the retirement terms. Washington ownership surely isn’t thrilled with the notion of paying $35MM annual salaries from 2024-26 to a player who won’t appear for them at the MLB level. (Strasburg is also due $80MM in deferred salaries, which’ll be paid out from 2028-30.) Yet Strasburg would be guaranteed all of that money if he spends the next three seasons on the injured list as well. If the Nats felt he would never be in position to pitch again a few weeks ago, it’s unclear why they believe the situation has changed.

Strasburg isn’t counting against the Nats’ roster in-season, as he’s on the 60-day IL. If he doesn’t formally retire, however, Washington would need to carry him on their 40-man roster over the offseason. (The Nats could release him to remove him from the roster, though they’d still be on the hook for the contract, so that wouldn’t be any different to the team than if Strasburg simply retired.) Keeping him on the roster seems a suboptimal situation for everyone involved unless team brass is holding out hope that Strasburg will be able to pitch again someday.

As Nightengale points out, the Strasburg reversal comes at a time when the Nationals appear to be trying to cut costs in other areas. Assistant general manager Johnny DiPuglia resigned over the weekend, which Nightengale reports was in response to the organization seeking to reduce his salary.

The franchise has also made a swath of cuts to their scouting staff. Ken Rosenthal and Ghiroli reported yesterday (on Twitter) that the organization was letting go of a number of special assistants and a pro scout. Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reported (Twitter link) that four members of the international scouting department were not being renewed as well.

All this comes at a time of some overall uncertainty. The Lerner family looked into selling the franchise last year, but those talks reportedly hit a snag because of the club’s TV rights fees dispute. Meanwhile, general manager Mike Rizzo remains without a contract beyond this season. Rizzo and the club had been in extension negotiations for at least the past few weeks. As the Talk Nats blog first reported yesterday, those talks have been held up by Rizzo’s desire for a longer-term contract than the organization has thus far been willing to provide.

Nationals Agree To Extension With Dave Martinez, Working On Deal With Mike Rizzo

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The Nationals are working to finalize extensions for manager Dave Martinez and president of baseball operations/general manager Mike Rizzo, report Ken Rosenthal and Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic. Martinez has already agreed to a two-year deal with a club option for the 2026 season, per the report. Rizzo is close to agreeing to a contract of “similar length.”

Both Martinez and Rizzo had club options exercised for the 2023 season and are in the final seasons of their current contracts. There’s been longstanding speculation regarding the contract status of both, with the ongoing rumblings of a potential sale of the franchise only muddying the waters. Even amid that uncertainty, current Nationals ownership will opt for continuity and give both Martinez and Rizzo the opportunity to see the rebuild that began under their watch through to completion.

Martinez and Rizzo helmed the Nationals’ stunning run, famously shaking off a 19-31 start to surge into postseason contention, seize a Wild Card spot, and ultimately emerge as World Series champions. Things have since taken a turn for the worse. Several stars who keyed that World Series run — most notably Anthony Rendon — have left in free agency. The decision to re-sign World Series hero Stephen Strasburg proved almost immediately regrettable, as Strasburg has been injured for the vast majority of the past four years and is facing questions about whether he’ll ever pitch again.

With the Nationals falling well shy of expectations in 2021, Rizzo made the difficult decision to trade ace Max Scherzer, star shortstop Trea Turner and several other veterans, kickstarting a rebuilding effort originally envisioned to be built around young phenom Juan Soto. However, when Soto rejected a 14-year extension offer, Rizzo & Co. bit the bullet and traded Soto for a franchise-altering package of young talent.

Scherzer, Turner, Soto, Daniel Hudson, Kyle Schwarber, Jon Lester and others were all traded in deals netting a combination of Keibert Ruiz, Josiah Gray, CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Lane Thomas and a slew of prospects (James Wood, Jarlin Susana and Robert Hassell III among them). As with most rebuilding clubs, the Nats have also picked near the top of the past several drafts, landing notable prospects like Brady House, Elijah Green and 2023 No. 2 overall pick Dylan Crews.

Buoyed by that wave of young talent, the Nats have the look of an organization on the rise. But while the faces taking the field will have turned over almost entirely from the prior core that led the club to a World Series win, ownership clearly has faith in the same decision-makers who previously brought them to the dance.

Martinez is in his sixth season as the team’s manager and is now guaranteed another two years at the helm. The rebuild has taken a toll on his overall managerial record, which sits at 378-455. Rizzo, meanwhile, has been the team’s general manager since 2009 and was bumped to the title of president of baseball operations back. A two-year deal for Rizzo would lock him in for his 16th and 17th years running baseball operations in D.C. — and give him an extended window to see how the fruits of his latest rebuilding efforts will acclimate to the Major League level.

NL East Notes: Mets, Britton, Rizzo, Nationals, Fried

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The Mets are “unlikely” to sign Zack Britton, a source tells MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, though New York was one of six teams in attendance at Britton’s showcase earlier this week.  Brooks Raley is the only left-hander slated for a role in the Mets’ bullpen, so Britton would’ve added some southpaw depth that seems necessary on paper.  However, DiComo writes that the Mets like the flexibility offered by having relievers available with minor league options, since it allows the club to shuttle fresh arms back and forth from the minors when necessary.

Britton and the Mets were seen as a logical match for much of the offseason, both due to the Mets’ needs for left-handed relief help and the past history between Britton and manager Buck Showalter from their time with the Orioles.  With multiple teams (even beyond the teams who had scouts at his showcase) still showing interest in Britton, the two-time All-Star seems bound to land somewhere in what will essentially be a comeback year after two injury-marred seasons.

More from the NL East…

  • Nationals president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo is only under contract through the 2023 season, and there hasn’t been any indication that the two sides have discussed an extension.  (Understandably so, given how the organization is mourning the recent passing of owner Ted Lerner.)  Even if an extension doesn’t come, Rizzo isn’t worried, as he told Andrew Golden of the Washington Post that “it’s not the first time, won’t be the last time, I’m on a lame-duck contract.  It doesn’t affect me….I was an area scout.  I worked on 20 one-year contracts in a row, so I’m no stranger to limited security.  My work will be my résumé, and we’ll see how it goes on from there.”  Rizzo is one of the longer-serving executives in baseball, having led the Nationals’ front office since 2009.  Between Lerner’s passing, the seemingly stalled efforts to sell the team, and the Nationals’ ongoing rebuild, Rizzo’s status is only one of many major issues facing the organization.
  • “There’s no anger, animosity or anything” for Max Fried in the aftermath of losing his arbitration hearing with the Braves, the ace told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman).  Fried will now earn $13.5MM in 2023, and he’ll have one more year of arb eligibility remaining before he can become a free agent in the 2024-25 offseason.  An extension would naturally change that timeline, and while Fried seemed to imply that a longer-term deal hadn’t yet been broached, “we’ve been able to have some good communication.  I really love my time here and I love the team.  So if [an extension] is something that comes to the table, it’s something we’ll talk about.”  Atlanta’s flurry of recent extension has put a lot of longer-term commitments on the team’s books, though a lot of money might be coming off the books next winter depending on how many (or any) club options the Braves choose to exercise.  As Bowman notes, however, Fried’s closer proximity and the high cost of free agent pitching would seemingly require the Braves to offer a contract with a club-record average annual value in order to keep Fried off the market.

Managers & Top Front Office Executives On Expiring Contracts

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Some teams don’t publicly announce contract terms, or in some cases, even if a manager or a top front office executive (i.e. president of baseball operations, general manager, or whatever title is given to the lead decision-maker) has been given an extension whatsoever.  As a result, this list of the managers and executives entering the final years of their contracts is somewhat unofficial, as it wouldn’t be surprising if at least a few names on this list are indeed locked up beyond 2023 on pre-existing contracts or on extensions that have yet to be publicly announced.

Naturally, job security goes beyond just the terms of a contract.  One wouldn’t have imagined that the Rangers’ Jon Daniels or the Royals’ Dayton Moore were necessarily on thin ice heading into the 2022 season, yet the two longtime front office bosses were fired before the season was even over, as both Texas and Kansas City underachieved.  Likewise, former Astros GM James Click seemed like a sure bet for a long-term deal given Houston’s success, and yet due to some internal discord with owner Jim Crane, Click ended up leaving after the Astros offered him only (what seemed like a token of a) one-year extension.

The addition of the extra wild card spot could put even more pressure on teams to win, especially since the Phillies’ run from sixth seed to NL champions underlined what can happen if a club can just get into the postseason bracket.  In addition, some of the names on this list face uncertainty due to potential changes in team ownership — and as the Astros showed, no amount of on-field success can help if an owner simply wants someone new in the baseball ops department.

As always, thanks to Cot’s Baseball Contracts for reference information on some of these contract terms.

Angels: Phil Nevin was moved from third base coach to interim manager when Joe Maddon was fired in June, and Nevin ended up leading the Angels to an underwhelming 46-60 record in his first stint as a big league skipper.  Despite the lack of success, the Halos removed the interim tag by signing Nevin to a one-year deal, giving him a longer (but not much longer) opportunity to see what he can do as the team’s manager.  The Angels organization as a whole is in a fluid state given that a new owner might be running the club by Opening Day or soon thereafter, and yet in what looks to be Arte Moreno’s last offseason as the Halos’ owner, Anaheim has been pretty aggressive in adding roster pieces to try and find that elusive winning mix.  If Nevin can help get Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and company to the playoffs or even over the .500 mark, it will greatly help his case for a long-term contract under the new owner….or, possibly a managerial job elsewhere if the new owner still wants to brings in their own personnel.

Astros: Hired in rather abrupt fashion in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal, Dusty Baker’s three seasons in Houston have resulted in two World Series appearances, and the 2022 championship represented Baker’s first ring as a manager in 25 seasons in the dugout.  Baker’s initial contract (one year and a club option) has been followed up by successive one-year deals that weren’t finalized until after the Astros’ playoff runs were over, but Crane has repeatedly stated that he prefers to avoid distractions by waiting until after the season to work out contractual matters.  Baker’s age (74 in June) might be another reason why Crane has resisted giving Baker a longer-term deal, so another extension might not come for Baker until October or November.  With the Click situation lingering as an odd footnote to Houston’s championship season, Baker at least seems to have more sway with ownership than the former GM did, yet the Astros might have to keep winning to ensure that Baker is back in 2024.

Athletics: GM David Forst has been a member of Oakland’s front office since 2000, and he’ll now finally take over as the top job in the baseball operations department after Billy Beane moved to an advisory role with the club.  As per the terms of Forst’s last extension, he is signed through the 2023 season, and there wasn’t any word of a new contract attached to the Athletics’ announcement of Forst’s new role.  As the A’s continue to search for a new ballpark in Oakland or a potential move to a new city, there’s a bit of flux involved throughout the organization, yet it would certainly seem like the A’s will continue their tradition of front-office continuity by giving Forst a new deal at some point.  Forst is currently shepherding the Athletics through their latest rebuild, but if an extension wasn’t worked out, he would likely quickly find work elsewhere given how many teams have tried to poach him for other front office vacancies in recent years.

Brewers: Craig Counsell has been managing the Brew Crew since 2015, and 2023 is the final year of the skipper’s current four-year contract.  Milwaukee is an impressive 615-555 under Counsell’s watch, with two NL Central titles, four postseason appearances and a trip to the NLCS in 2018.  However, 2018 was also the last time the Brewers won a playoff series, and the team’s postseason streak ended in 2022 despite a respectable 86-76 record.  It would still seem like Counsell would be a strong candidate to receive an extension, though there’s some uncertainty throughout the organization in the wake of David Stearns’ rather surprising decision to step down as the team’s president of baseball operations.  General manager Matt Arnold is now in charge of the front office, though past reports suggested that Arnold’s own deal only lasts through the 2023 season.  Brewers owner Mark Attanasio could have some inclination to pursue a new direction if the Brewers struggled next year, and if Arnold isn’t seen as a long-term answer, Attanasio could look for a new front office boss as Stearns’ true replacement, and a new PBO or GM might also want to make their own managerial hire.

Cardinals: 2023 is the final season of the three-year extension John Mozeliak signed in November 2019.  A member of the Cardinals organization since 1995 and the head of their front office since the 2007-08 offseason, Mozeliak has been working under the president of baseball operations title since 2017.  Michael Girsch was promoted to the GM role at that same time, and is signed through at least 2024 as per the terms of an extension signed back in October.  With Girsch’s deal in mind, it would seem like Mozeliak will also be extended again, as the Cardinals have enjoyed 15 straight winning seasons and have reached the postseason in each of the last four years.  This being said, the bar for success is always high in St. Louis, and the team hasn’t won a playoff series since 2019 and hasn’t reached the World Series since 2013.

Diamondbacks: Executive VP/general manager Mike Hazen was already under contract through 2020 when he signed a new extension in September 2019, and the length of that new deal wasn’t released.  As such, it is possible 2023 might be Hazen’s final year under contract.  Manager Torey Lovullo’s status is more public, as the D’Backs exercised their club option on his services for 2023.  Since the Diamondbacks haven’t had a winning season since 2019 and haven’t made the postseason since 2017 (Hazen and Lovullo’s first year in Arizona), ownership might be waiting to see if any significant progress is made before exploring an extension for either its GM or manager.

Dodgers: Andrew Friedman came to Los Angeles on a five-year, $35MM contract that covered the 2014-19 seasons, and he then signed a new extension of an unknown length after the 2019 campaign was complete.  If that extension was only a four-year pact, 2023 would be Friedman’s final season as the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, barring another new deal.  Despite the relative lack of postseason success in regards to the Dodgers’ dominance of the regular season, Friedman’s tenure has still delivered one World Series title, and it would seem like he has as much job security as anyone in baseball.

Giants: Farhan Zaidi is entering the final season of his five-year contract as San Francisco’s president of baseball operations.  Through two years of rebuilding (and competitive baseball) and then a 107-win season in 2021, it seemed like the Giants had taken a fast track to success, but things took a step backwards with an 81-81 record last year.  Heading into with the winter with an aggressive mandate to spend and attract high-profile talent to the Bay Area, the Giants have added some notable players but fallen short on two superstars — Aaron Judge re-signed with the Yankees, while Carlos Correa had agreed to a 13-year, $350MM pact with the Giants before the team delayed finalizing the deal due to concerns stemming from Correa’s physical.  Correa immediately pivoted to the Mets on a 12-year, $315MM contract, and since the Mets reportedly have their own issues with Correa’s lower right leg and ankle, the situation has become less of a fiasco for the Giants than it initially appeared.  Team chairman Greg Johnson gave Zaidi a vote of confidence heading into the offseason, but it remains to be seen if ownership is satisfied with the aftermath of this very unusual winter.

Guardians: There hasn’t yet been any public word on the details of Terry Francona’s extension, but the reigning AL Manager Of The Year has already been confirmed as returning for the 2023 campaign.  Given Francona’s health issues, 2023 could be his final season in the dugout, but the Guardians’ front office and team owner Paul Dolan have both intimated that Francona can remain as manager as long as he is willing and able.  President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti also doesn’t seem to be in any danger, though the longtime Cleveland exec’s contract terms aren’t known.

Marlins: Kim Ng has a 137-188 record over her first two seasons as Miami’s general manager, though as usual with the Marlins, it isn’t clear how much of those struggles are the GM’s fault.  Derek Jeter’s departure as CEO last March left an upper management void within the organization, and while the Marlins have slightly expanded payroll in Ng’s tenure, they are still among the game’s lower spenders.  It could be argued that with Jeter and ex-manager Don Mattingly gone, Ng now freer rein to turn the Marlins in her own direction, beginning with the hiring of Skip Schumaker as the club’s new bench boss.  The terms of Ng’s contract weren’t publicly revealed, so 2023 could conceivably be the final guaranteed year of her deal — if so, some progress might be necessary to keep owner Bruce Sherman from starting yet another rebuild.

Nationals: President of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez are both only signed through the 2023 season, as the Nationals exercised club options on both men back in July.  Wins and losses aren’t really a factor for the rebuilding Nats, but the ongoing search for a new owner certainly is, though the most recent reports haven’t given any clear timeline on when a sale might be finalized.  As a result, Rizzo and Martinez might each be facing a lame-duck season, with their fates unknown until a new owner is in place.

Orioles: The contract terms of GM Mike Elias and manager Brandon Hyde haven’t been publicized, though Hyde’s newest extension runs through at least the 2023 season.  Since the O’s were so quiet about extending Hyde, it wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that Elias was also extended at some point, continuing a tenure that began with the 2018-19 offseason.  Regardless of the details, it certainly doesn’t seem like either Elias or Hyde are going anywhere, considering how the Orioles had a winning record (83-79) in 2022 and seem ready to put their rebuild firmly in the rearview mirror.

Pirates: Speaking of rebuilds, the Pirates can only hope for a Baltimore-esque breakout next year.  Ben Cherington is entering the fourth season as Pittsburgh’s general manager, on a contract of an unknown length.  Manager Derek Shelton is concretely operating on a four-year pact, so 2023 will be his last guaranteed season, though Cherington has spoken glowingly about Shelton’s work in leading the young Bucs through the hard times of the rebuild period.  Extensions would keep Shelton and perhaps Cherington from being lame ducks in 2023, though there doesn’t seem to be any sense that either is in danger of being let go.

Rangers: Chris Young became the Rangers’ GM in December 2020, and he unexpectedly found himself in charge of the front office entirely once Daniels was fired in August.  The terms of Young’s initial contract weren’t known, and it doesn’t seem as though his surprise promotion came with any extra years added onto his deal.  The Rangers’ spending spree over the last two offseasons has left no doubt that ownership wants to win now, so Young’s own job could be in jeopardy if Texas struggles (or perhaps has a slow start) in 2023.  That said, Young’s past history as a player under manager Bruce Bochy surely played a role in convincing Bochy to become the Rangers’ new skipper, so Young has started to make his influence known in the Texas front office.

Reds: David Bell’s two-year contract is up after the 2023 season, which would be Bell’s fifth season as the Reds’ manager.  Cincinnati promoted GM Nick Krall as the leader of the baseball ops department following the 2020 season, and Krall has since been tasked with cutting payroll and setting the Reds on a rebuilding path.  Krall’s contract length isn’t publicly known, so 2023 probably isn’t a make-or-break season for Krall to help his job security, unless the team absolutely craters and the development of the Reds’ younger players hits a roadblock.  The same could be true of Bell, unless the front office feels a new voice is needed in the dugout to continue the progress.

Red Sox: The terms of Chaim Bloom’s contract as Boston’s chief baseball officer aren’t publicly known, though 2023 will be Bloom’s fourth season.  This is a notable threshold considering Bloom’s predecessors in leading the Red Sox front office — Cherington didn’t last four full seasons, while Dave Dombrowski spent slightly over four years on the job, from August 2015 to September 2019.  Those two executives led the Sox to World Series titles in those brief tenures, while under Bloom, the Red Sox have a pair of last-place finishes sandwiched around a berth in the 2021 ALCS.  Assuming ownership is still as impatient to win, Bloom might need the Sox to take a big step up in 2023 in order to keep his job.

Rockies: Bud Black has only one guaranteed year remaining on his deal, yet seems to be operating on what The Athletic’s Nick Groke reported as “a rolling year-to-year contract.”  Even considering how the Rockies traditionally operate on a system of loyalty and continuity, one would imagine that a fifth straight losing season might be enough to convince the team to pursue a new manager.

Royals: Similar to the Rangers’ situation with Young, Kansas City GM J.J. Picollo found himself atop the Royals’ baseball ops pyramid when Moore was fired in September, with no word of a contract extension attached to this change in responsibility.  The difference is that Picollo has had a much longer tenure in K.C. (having worked in the front office since 2006 under Moore’s leadership), and while owner John Sherman is undoubtedly eager to start winning, he hasn’t invested the hundreds of millions that the Rangers’ owners have in their struggling club.  Immediate success might not be expected in Picollo’s first year, but his chances of a longer deal might hinge on whether or not the Royals’ younger players start developing at a better rate, or if new manager Matt Quatraro can get more out of the young club.

Twins: The 2022 season completed the guaranteed portion of Rocco Baldelli’s initial contract with the Twins, which was a four-year deal with multiple club options attached.  Chief baseball officer Derek Falvey stated in September that Baldelli would be back next season, so at the very least, the Twins have exercised their option on Baldelli for 2023.  For what it’s worth, Falvey and GM Thad Levine are both under contract through 2024, and it is possible Falvey, Levine, and Baldelli might all be in hot water if the Twins can’t turn things around this coming season.  Minnesota followed up AL Central titles in both 2019 and 2020 with two losing seasons, and another sub-.500 campaign might make Baldelli the first one out the door, given his lesser contractual control.

White Sox: Executive VP Ken Williams (1997) and general manager Rick Hahn (2002) are each long-time members of Chicago’s front office, and have been in their current positions since October 2012.  Since the White Sox don’t publicize executive contracts, not much is known about Williams or Hahn’s status, other than that their last extensions came during the 2017 season.  It’s fair to guess that both might have received new deals since that time, but in any case, it may be a moot point given how owner Jerry Reinsdorf isn’t quick to make changes in the front office.  The hope is that new manager Pedro Grifol can succeed where Tony La Russa didn’t, and there hasn’t been any sense that Williams or Hahn might be on the hot seat, though that could possibly change if a White Sox team built to win now stumbles again.

Nationals Looking To Add Starter, Corner Outfielder

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As a team that finished 55-107 in 2022 and faces an uncertain ownership picture, the Nationals are not expected to be shopping for the big ticket free agents this winter, but general manager Mike Rizzo has said he will remain active in looking to upgrade the roster. Per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post, Rizzo specifically mentioned the rotation, as well as first, third and the corner outfield spots as positions he could look to add in.

The rotation is no surprise, given the Nats ranked 29th in the majors in starting pitcher ERA last season. Given the team is still in the midst of a rebuild, it’s more likely they seek out one or two buy-low veterans to stabilize the rotation than make any sort of splashy move. For starters, a few of the rotations spots are already sewn up. Veteran Patrick Corbin has struggled mightily of late, posting 5.82 and 6.31 ERAs the past two years but he’s owed $24.4MM next season and then $35.4MM in 2024. Then there’s Stephen Strasburg, who’s owed $140MM over the next four seasons but has thrown just 31 1/3 innings over the past three seasons as he battles his way back from a mountain of injury problems. It’s possible there’s a bad contract swap to be done, but it’s more likely the Nationals try and get Strasburg healthy and see if they can both rebuild their value in 2023.

Beyond those two, the team may look to fill the final three spots with youngsters Josiah Gray, Cade Cavalli and MacKenzie Gore, but that poses plenty of questions itself. Gray gave up 38 home runs across 148 2/3 innings in his rookie year after coming across from the Dodgers in the Max Scherzer deal. Cavalli dealt with shoulder problems and Gore never pitched for the team after arriving in the Juan Soto deal due to elbow inflammation. All three have plenty of promise and will get a lot of opportunities in 2023, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt for the Nats to solidify things a little by adding a veteran pitcher or two.

On the position player side of things, Keibert Ruiz, CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia and Lane Thomas form a promising young core up the middle, so it’s not surprising that it’s the edges that Rizzo is looking to upgrade there.

In the infield, Carter Kieboom will look to bounce back from Tommy John surgery and stake a claim to be the team’s long term third baseman. Kieboom hasn’t hit much in the big leagues, posting wRC+s of 18, 68 and 69 in his three seasons. The Nats rebuild affords him a bit more time to find his feet, and Rizzo’s already stated he’ll have spring training to compete for the position. Over at first, the team will surely give 30-year-old rookie Joey Meneses a chance to show his surprise 2022 season was no fluke. He hit .324/.367./.563 with 13 home runs in 240 plate appearances, and while that sample size is still small, there’s no real reason why Washington wouldn’t give him plenty of looks in 2023.

Washington does have Luke Voit under control for 2023 as well, and it’s possible they use him and Meneses as their first base/DH split. However, Voit is due an arbitration salary of $8.2MM per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz’ predictions, and given he was right around league average last year (102 wRC+), the Nats may opt to non-tender him and look for a cheaper alternative. Speculatively speaking, perhaps a low-cost bounce back candidate such as Miguel Sano or Jesus Aguilar could appeal.

Rizzo also mentioned the corner outfield spots as possible places to add. Thomas spent most of last year in right field with Victor Robles manning center. Robles is the superior defender and Thomas is the better hitter, so there’s every chance that alignment remains heading into 2023. Both are projected to make modest salaries in arbitration ($2.1MM for Thomas, $2.5MM for Robles), but given Robles’ struggles at the plate there’s a chance they trade or non-tender him and let Thomas take over in center, where he’s still more than adequate. Waiver claim Alex Call and veteran Yadiel Hernandez hit well enough this season to suggest they’ll be back, and perhaps Washington will look to platoon them in left.

Considering all of that, there’s certainly room for the Nationals to add another outfielder to the mix, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Call or Hernandez relegated to a bench spot. The Nats added Nelson Cruz on a $15MM deal last winter when they were a ways off contention, and while that particular move didn’t pay off, it shows they’re willing to commit a bit of salary to players in the hope of them turning into something come the trade deadline. Again, speculatively, that could put the likes of Tommy Pham, Andrew McCutchen and Corey Dickerson on their radar, particularly if they’re still available later in the off-season.

Any ownership change will certainly shape most of the conversation of how much Rizzo can get done in free agency though. All he could offer on the matter is they’ve been told to continue “business as usual”.

Latest On Juan Soto Trade Talks

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5:16PM: The Nationals want “four to five top young players” for Soto, Ken Rosenthal said during a FOX Sports interview today.  This “monstrous ask” consists of star prospects and/or players who have only recently made their MLB debuts, and thus are under control for several years.  Given the size of this expected trade package, “at this point….it’s not really a negotiation.  The Nationals are saying ’either you express a willingness to meet our price, or we just go to the next club,’ ” Rosenthal said.

As an example, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that if the Giants were to bid for Soto, the Nats would want left-handed pitching prospect Kyle Harrison back as part of the return.  Harrison was the Giants’ third-round pick in the 2020 draft, and his great 2022 numbers have elevated him in midseason prospect rankings — Baseball America has Harrison rated 22nd on their latest list of baseball’s top 100 minor leaguers, while MLB Pipeline has him 25th.

11:20AM: The possibility of a Juan Soto trade has dominated MLB headlines for the past week, but the Nationals haven’t been impressed with the offers they’ve seen so far, per the Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli. Finding a suitable trade package for a well-decorated 23-year-old superstar is complicated enough, but the Nationals’ ownership situation adds another confounding wrinkle.

With current owners, the Lerner family, looking increasingly likely to sell the club, the desires of any new potential owner have to be considered in any Soto deal, as well. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, some potential buyers would prefer to have Soto on the roster. Given that Soto is by far the Nats’ best baseball asset, it’s not surprising that a new ownership group would want him in the organization.

It’s hard to imagine that the club would be more attractive to potential buyers without Soto on the roster. There is the possibility of a new ownership group preferring a clean slate while letting the Lerners take the public relations hit that will come with dealing the team’s most popular star. Still, despite all the trade hubbub, it would not at all be shocking to see Soto still on the payroll when the Lerners find a buyer. A new owner would still be able to trade Soto with two full years of team control remaining, even if that sale doesn’t happen until the offseason.

So long as the possibility of a deal remains viable, teams will continue to check in with Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo. The Yankees are Mets are two of the foremost contenders for Soto. The Yankees are the more likely destination, however, given the Nats’ understandable reticence to deal Soto to a division contender, notes Andy Martino of sny.tv. The Nationals already have to live with former stars Bryce Harper and Max Scherzer in the same division. Nationals fans would certainly not be thrilled to face off with Harper and Soto within the division for the next decade. The Mets can’t be crossed off the list, but they should be counted as long-shots for now.

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