The Nationals signed GM Mike Rizzo to a five-year extension and promoted him to executive vice president of baseball operations and GM, according to the team. Rizzo, who turns 50 later this year, has been Washington's GM since August 2009 and has acted as GM since March of last year.
The Diamondbacks drafted Brandon Webb, Justin Upton, Stephen Drew and others when Rizzo was the team’s scouting director. Rizzo has continued drafting aggressively with the Nationals, selecting Stephen Strasburg (2009) and Bryce Harper (2010) with recent first overall picks. The Nationals have also drafted Drew Storen, Jordan Zimmermann and Danny Espinosa under Rizzo.
Rizzo has signed Yunesky Maya, Joel Peralta, Miguel Batista and Matt Capps to deals that paid dividends for the Nationals. Maya climbed to the major leagues this year, Peralta and Batista pitched well and Capps made the All-Star team before Washington traded him to Minnesota for catching prospect Wilson Ramos.
Rizzo, who says he intends to improve Washington’s pitching this offseason, committed millions to Jason Marquis and Chien-Ming Wang last offseason, but neither pitcher has contributed meaningfully so far.
Yeah, He signed Bryce Harper and Stratsberg, but his team just plain sucks.
And that’s his fault how? He inherited a horrible team from Jim Bowden, and immediately went to work bolstering the minor leagues (and hiring Roy Clark) so he could build the team from within. He obviously missed the boat on trading Dunn, but he’s done a pretty good job and this extension is well deserved.
Dude, he’s been there since ’09. It is now 2010. Rome wasn’t built in a day, fool.
Because clearly, upon taking over as GM, he should have improved the team instantaneously. His failure to win with the same product that Jim Bowden spent years destroying means he should’ve been gone months ago.
Comments like that one are why I wish there could be a button to vote comments down too.
WHERE IS THE DISLIKE BUTTON?!
Great signing. Rizzo has really, really created a major turnaround in the team’s minor league fortunes and in a few years that will translate in the big leagues.
It must’ve been because of his great signings of Marquis and Wang, along with the great no-trade of Dunn.
Or how he’s hired the right guys and made strides to improve the farm system and crafted a respectable pitching staff this year.
Don’t forget the trade of Guzman for two minor-league pitchers who in my opinion, who have done better in the Nationals organization then the Rangers organization.
I forgot to add, the same Guzman that has done nothing for the Rangers.
I forgot to add, the same Guzman that has done nothing for the Rangers.
Don’t forget the trade of Guzman for two minor-league pitchers who in my opinion, who have done better in the Nationals organization then the Rangers organization.
Or how he’s hired the right guys and made strides to improve the farm system and crafted a respectable pitching staff this year.
I think it’s unfair to say that Yunesky Maya has paid dividends for the Nationals.
I think it’s unfair to say that Yunesky Maya has paid dividends for the Nationals.
It’s probably also unfair to write him off after a 26 inning sample size, but yeah he hasn’t given them much of anything yet. I’m betting he’ll be a useful rotation arm, though.
He will be a serviceable #3 or #4 starter in the NL.
He will be a serviceable #3 or #4 starter in the NL.
Great move by the Nats. Now they just need a real manager to manage these kids and the turnaround is complete. Seriously though, this guy turned Matt freaking Capps into an above average catching “prospect”. Now that deserves credit! His other moves, besides Batista, were common sense types.
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Actually, I should’ve said “positive” moves because that Marquis signing was awful/disaster etc etc..
Great move by the Nats. Now they just need a real manager to manage these kids and the turnaround is complete. Seriously though, this guy turned Matt freaking Capps into an above average catching “prospect”. Now that deserves credit! His other moves, besides Batista, were common sense types.
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Actually, I should’ve said “positive” moves because that Marquis signing was awful/disaster etc etc..
Rizzo’s the best thing to happen to this team since the move to D.C…It’s a much deserved extension, now get to work in finding a better manager, and maybe a Cliff Lee or Greinke this off-season
I understand the desire to lock him up but a 5-year extension…. Yikes! GM’s are like players, they change over time. Maybe not as much or as obviously but they do. I could see Theo or Cashman or Beane and maybe a couple others getting a deal that long but even that would be pushing it for me. Just remember, Jim Hendry was pretty good at pulling off trades that really helped the Cubs until the Trib opened the checkbook in 2007. He hasn’t been the same since. It happens. Omar Minaya was thought of as a good GM when he first got started, look how that turned out. Nothing against Rizzo but I would have given him some time to develop a history in the position before I considered extending him that far.
Should he really be credited with Upton, Drew, Strasburg, and Harper? Those were all pretty much no-brainers. Not that I’m doubting his abilities as GM, he’s very good.
Mike Rizzo is a bafoon! Why did they just not shut down Strasburg the FIRST TIME he went on the DL? Was it worth it to sellout a couple of extra home games this year, RIZZO? Now you will miss an ENTIRE season of selling out home games for Strasburg starts.I have said repeatedly they should have shut the kid down after his FIRST INJURY. I understand that the two are unrelated, but the injured shoulder could have changed his mechanics slightly and put more stress on his elbow.He also DOESN’T have an Inverted W delivery. He has what many consider an upside down L…I am tired of reading people who think that they know anything about pitching mechanics, and claim that he has an Inverted W like Mark Prior. (Off topic but sick of reading it).The way Rizzo also botched the Adam Dunn negotiatons during the trade deadline was also ridiculous. He had to HAVE Beckham from the White Sox to make the deal happen. Why would Kenny Williams give you an elite playerprospect that is under team control for the next 6 seasons, for 13 of a season for Adam Dunn, who will be a FA. He should have just taken the 1 average, and 1 above average prospect that the Sox were offering. Now he may get two first round picks, who might never even develop into prospects. He may end up with only 1 draft pick if the team that signs Dunn signs a higher rated Type A FA.Those two moves combined with the fact that Rizzo has overseen an organization that has had the most pitchers on the 60 day DL with arm injuries for the past two seasons should lead to him being FIRED, not getting a 5 year extension!
Pretty sure Dunn is Type B…. and you get madder…
Mike Rizzo is a bafoon! Why did they just not shut down Strasburg the FIRST TIME he went on the DL? Was it worth it to sellout a couple of extra home games this year, RIZZO? Now you will miss an ENTIRE season of selling out home games for Strasburg starts.I have said repeatedly they should have shut the kid down after his FIRST INJURY. I understand that the two are unrelated, but the injured shoulder could have changed his mechanics slightly and put more stress on his elbow.He also DOESN’T have an Inverted W delivery. He has what many consider an upside down L…I am tired of reading people who think that they know anything about pitching mechanics, and claim that he has an Inverted W like Mark Prior. (Off topic but sick of reading it).The way Rizzo also botched the Adam Dunn negotiatons during the trade deadline was also ridiculous. He had to HAVE Beckham from the White Sox to make the deal happen. Why would Kenny Williams give you an elite playerprospect that is under team control for the next 6 seasons, for 13 of a season for Adam Dunn, who will be a FA. He should have just taken the 1 average, and 1 above average prospect that the Sox were offering. Now he may get two first round picks, who might never even develop into prospects. He may end up with only 1 draft pick if the team that signs Dunn signs a higher rated Type A FA.Those two moves combined with the fact that Rizzo has overseen an organization that has had the most pitchers on the 60 day DL with arm injuries for the past two seasons should lead to him being FIRED, not getting a 5 year extension!