The Diamonbacks intend to ask the Nationals for permission to speak with executive Mike Rizzo about their open front office position, according to ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden. Any request, it seems, would come after the Nats’ postseason run wraps up.
Arizona has Rizzo “at the top of their list” of candidates to run the team’s baseball operations department, per the report. It seems that he would be considered for a president of baseball operations title. The long-time Nationals GM, who spent seven years at the helm of the Snakes’ scouting department before going to DC, declined comment and said that he’s “focused on winning this series [against the Dodgers] and nothing else.”
It’s certainly difficult to imagine Washington having much interest in making their top baseball decisionmaker available just months after picking up an option to keep him around through 2018. Rizzo has overseen the organization’s rise to a perennial contender, with his rosters having taken NL East titles in three of the last five years — driven not only by strong draft results but also a series of heists on the trade market.
Rizzo, 55, has been in D.C. since 2006 and has held the GM seat since 2009. Importantly, also, he was named president of baseball operations back in 2013, so Arizona wouldn’t be in a position to give him a promotion. (The organization just gave president/CEO Derrick Hall a new long-term deal of his own.)
Given all the considerations noted above, perhaps the only way for Rizzo to end up in Arizona is if he and the Nationals’ top brass are more interested in parting ways than is known publicly. There have been whispers about Rizzo’s status in the past, and the organization was somewhat slow to pick up his option. Certainly, the club would be in position to demand a significant player asset in return if things were to progress. And Rizzo would no doubt have the leverage to command a big contract from the wayward D-Backs.
At this point, of course, that’s all speculation. Arizona has been tied to a rather wide variety of potential executive candidates already. Rays AGM Chaim Bloom and Dodgers VP Alex Anthopoulos have reportedly declined requests for an interview. The Diamondbacks are also said to have interest in Royals AGM J.J. Piccolo, Dodgers senior adviser Ned Colletti, MLB senior VPs Kim Ng and Peter Woodfork, and Brewers VP of scouting Ray Montgomery, while also considering a promotion for current team executives Bryan Minniti and Mike Bell.
If you ask me, he might be the best in the business. Washington does it the right way, letting him have full control. None of these micromanaging positions where there’s a ton of GM’s each with different titles. He’d be out of his mind to go to Arizona.
He’s one of the best for sure but not on Luhnhow or Theo’s level (front office exec not gm)
is this the “at least we tried” fallback for when they just promote someone from within?
Rizzo would be crazy to go but he won’t even have a chance, Washington won’t let the D-Backs even near anyone todo with the team!
Colleti
Rizzo
Baird
Ng
Lol
You got the 1st 3 right, I would go JJ over NG
Agree Colletti is best option for us. He actually had a better winning percentage (.537) in nine seasons, including the McBankrupt era, than Rizzo (.514) in eight seasons in Washington. And RoadRunner1938 and others are right. Nats are not going to let Rizzo get away, especially if they beat the Dodgers.
I heard barry bonds is free
He could go to AZ but the Nats should demand massive compensation
I’m sure they would give them Greinke Goldschmidt Segura and there top prospects.
I mean like prospects and cash
cmon dbacks, be realistic. nobody’s leaving a good team to be fired within the next 3 years from the dbacks
Will be interesting to see if they set up a president:gm hierarchy…it could cost them $4.5 to $9M annually in exec salary to secure 2 quality people and they will have to do a 3 yr deal…minimum…otherwise they go cheaper, less experienced, fewer years, 1 guy…then they can fire him after they try to do his job for him for 2 years..
Colletti’s still a key adviser on this year’s LAD team and the core the 2016 Division Championship was drafted or acquired when he was GM — Kershaw, Seager, Pederson, Adrian Gonzalez, Turner, Puig, Jansen, Stripling, Urias, JP Howell, Baez. And he signed Greinke to go with Kershaw. One of the reasons Greinke said he left LA and came to us was because he was disappointed in the trade deadline moves the new regime made after they moved Colletti out of the day-to-day operations. Maybe reuniting with Colletti will help Greinke return to his ace form. That alone is worth the hire.
When did Greinke say that
Below direct quote from USA Today:
With Andrew Friedman taking over as president of baseball operations and a more sabermetric-based front office in place, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been among the most aggressive teams in MLB this offseason. Aggressive, however, does not necessarily mean effective. There have been plenty of voices out there questioning just how necessary a significant retooling was, and it would appear that current pitcher Zack Greinke is among those voices.
When asked specifically about the offseason manuevering at Dodgers’ Fan Fest on Saturday, Greinke sounded unimpressed at best and underwhelmed to say the least.
“In the playoffs last year, I thought our team was the best team in baseball,” Greinke said on Saturday. “Obviously, we didn’t prove it. But I thought we were the best team in baseball. So, to say we’re better than that, I don’t know if you could say that.”
No way this will or should happen. Nats should give him a 10 year deal if he wants it. He is one of the best and has been every bit as important to the team as any of the players. Only way he leaves Nats is if he is the one requesting it.
Sounds like Rizzo is a no and they won’t pay Colleti