Nationals Extend, Promote Mike Rizzo

The Nationals announced that Mike Rizzo has signed a new long-term contract with the team and has been promoted to the position of President of Baseball Operations.  The exact length of the deal is not yet known for Rizzo, who will still keep the mantle of General Manager.

Rizzo, who was appointed GM in 2009 after serving as assistant GM since 2006, has been working on a new deal with the Nats since April.  Last year, in his fourth year at the helm, Washington won an MLB-best 98 games and the NL East title.

“Upon purchasing the Nationals, Mike Rizzo was our first hire and he has performed brilliantly,” said managing principal owner Theodore N. Lerner in the statement. “We started with an idea about how baseball teams should be built and he translated it into a reality far faster than many could have imagined. He knows the game, the players, and is a true professional. Under his direct leadership, the Nationals have become one of the most exciting and respected young teams in baseball.”

The Nationals exercised their 2014 option on Rizzo's contract in late April as they continued to negotiate on a fresh contract.  Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post speculated at the time that the move might have created a fizzure betwen the GM and the club since his that contract put him in the bottom third of salary for his position.  If there was an issue between the two sides, it appears to be water under the bridge with today's announcement.