Nationals manager Dave Martinez and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo are each in the final guaranteed year of their respective contracts, according to a report from Jesse Dougherty and Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post.
The initial reporting on the 2020 extension for Martinez said that it was a three-year deal, which would cover the seasons through 2023. However, when the team officially announced the extension, they described it merely as a “multi-year” deal. According to this new report, the extension was actually for two years plus a club option for 2023. Asked about the situation, Martinez neither confirmed nor denied the report. “I just want people to know that I love it here and I want to be here,” he said. “I am excited for what we’re building and want to see it through for another championship.”
These details only add to the uncertainty for an organization that’s already immersed in it. The club had an incredible eight-year run from 2012-2019, which included a winning record in each year, five postseason appearances and was capped off by a World Series championship in 2019. Since then, though, the club slumped through a mediocre showing in both 2020 and 2021, the latter of those seasons including a massive sell-off of veteran talent for younger, unproven players.
Furthermore, just as the current season was beginning, a report emerged that the Lerner family are considering selling the club. On the field, the Nats are currently holding a record of 12-26, a winning percentage worse than every team in the majors except for the Reds.
This is the fifth season at the helm for Martinez, who was hired prior to the 2018 campaign. Rizzo has been a part of the club even longer, having been hired as assistant general manager in 2006. It appears that neither is guaranteed to be returning in the same role next year, making the future wide open for the club in many ways. After last year’s fire sale, they have only two players on the books beyond this season. Patrick Corbin’s deal runs through 2024, while Stephen Strasburg’s goes through 2026.
Of course, the big ticking time bomb in the room is Juan Soto, who can be controlled via arbitration through 2024. The Nationals are naturally interested in extending him, but actually doing so might be difficult. Soto’s agent Scott Boras discussed the matter in November. “The first thing that’s going to have to happen is that he knows that he’s working with an ownership that’s going to annually try to compete and win,” Boras said. “And then I think once he knows that, then he’ll be ready to sit down and talk whenever they choose to talk.” It was later reported that Soto and his camp turned down a 13-year, $350 contract offer from the Nats prior to the lockout. A player’s earning power only increases as they approach free agency, meaning that the price tag on locking Soto up long-term will only continue growing over the coming seasons, especially if he continues playing well. Through 38 games this year, he’s hitting .254/.387/.478, 146 wRC+.
That leaves the club with about two years and five months to convince Soto to stay. Between now and then, there’s very little certainty about who else will be on the team, who will be in the manager’s seat, who will be running the front office or even who will own the club.
Lorenzo Cain for Juan Soto? Who says no?
Obviously the brewers
I don’t know tstats, Cain can play center field and Soto can’t. Brewers might have to rethink what they get in return.
He will go to the Yankees, dodgers or Mets
Trade value is also at it’s highest.
Where the hell is Strasburg?
Strasburg recently threw a 27 pitch pen down in FL on rehab from Thoracic outlet surgery. Martinez said they were going to revealuate and make a decision in 6-7 weeks.
https://www.federalbaseball.com/2022/5/15/23073210/washington-nationals-news-notes-davey-martinez-stephen-strasburg-joe-ross-nelson-cruz-in-clubhouse
6-7 weeks? Damn.
6 or 7 starts which would put them on target for mid June. Of course that is very optimistic. Honestly, I’d expect Stras back right after the AS break assuming no setbacks. This season doesn’t matter besides getting healthy and building back up for the future.
TOS surgery is a monster to come back from, probably just a notch below shoulder surgery. Strasburg, if he makes it back, it’ll be next year at the earliest.
Martinez is not the issue. Now Rizzo may have a WS win on his resume, but it was somewhat lucky and his MLB signings are horrid.
He has been as bad as Dombowski with putting together bullpens.
out of pocket but okay
You’re totally right about that.
Martinez chews up relievers, though. Ride ‘em till they break, then replace ‘em.
Something is definitely up.
It appears the franchise will be put up for sale. Everything points to it: The payroll coming down; now the expiring contracts for the FO and manager. Creating a clean slate for the next owner(s) to do whatever they want as they’ll only be straddled the 2 contracts mentioned above…..one of which can be moved.
As this information is slowly leaking out, there’s a very good chance this has been in the works for a while with negotiations going on.
I’d guess Boras and Max knew. The Trea Turner trade was ridiculous.
Cleveland should look into trading for Keibert Ruiz. They badly need a young Catcher, and Ruiz will be one of the better ones in MLB within the next few years.
Meanwhile, Cleveland has far too many good young players and needs to move some in a multi-player deal as they have trouble keeping within the 40 man roster. They have 3 excellent young SS’s in Gabriel Arias, Tyler Freeman, and Andrés Giménez. Let the Nats pick one. Nolan Jones has been their top prospect, but as a 3B he’s blocked by Rameriz. Nats need a young 3B. Offer 2 other youngsters, including a Pitcher – or maybe expand it to a 5 for 2 trade.
Both payrolls stay low. All players will be controlled for years. Win-Win.
Ruiz has a similar value to Matt Olson on baseball Trade Values, and I know from exploring those that the Guardians have multiple paths to getting to about 45 value on that site.
Tyler Freeman, Brayan Rocchio, Andres Gimenez, and Gabriel Arias are all 20-25 value. You could trade two of those and make it work. Or you could use one as an anchor of a three or four person deal where you include a couple of their 10-12 value prospects (Nolan Jones, Bryan Lavastida, Gavin Williams) and maybe a throw in lottery ticket prospect arm like Hunter Gaddis.
Incidentally, if I was a rival exec looking at Cleveland, I would try to get them to include Oscar Gonzalez and/or Jose Fermin as throw ins. Both are playing well this year at AAA but seem blocked. Fermin is a middle infielder who has a great approach (good walk rates, low K rates – walks more than Ks this year and in his first two full seasons at A ball in 18/19), has speed on the bases, plays good defense at 3 positions, and has shown a surprising amount of power this year. He is buried behind all the middle infielders already on the 40. Gonzalez has a ton of power but can’t walk and can’t play defense. He might be worth a shot though as a corner OF type.
They say they are keeping Brady House at short but he will likely be the third baseman in two or three years.
The Nationals are like the Athletics right now “experimenting” with young players except with probably one big difference: A’s owner – and Gap chain mogul John Fisher – well he does not want to sale the team envisioning not just a stadium by the water – Oakland Port – but a huge real state project aka housing, hotels, mall, you name it or move the A’s to a promising Vegas’ roof top stadium. Time with tell with both teams…
Juan Soto to the Giants. This will be Farhan Zaidi’s first big splash.
That would be great (& surprising).
Rizzo is obsessed with old expensive veterans. It’s best for the Nats to move on after his contract expires.
I don’t know how much input he has in hiring managers but Johnson, Williams and Baker were pretty bad. I think Williams was the best of the three.
Martinez was almost fired the year he won the World Series and nothing says he will be back next season. Rizzo has done terrible in free agency sans Scherzer and it might just be time to shake things up in DC
He was almost fired the year before also. I know they won in 2019 but how would they have done in several other years if they actually had competent managers? Johnnie was terrible in October so why did they hire him?
Honestly they should trade Soto. They’ll get a boatload of prospects.
Probably have to wait though. My opinion is that anyone with enough prospects to land Soto and be acceptable to Wash would be the prospect-heavy, smaller-budget teams that won’t keep him, so it’s a self-defeating trade.
Probably next year will be the year for his trade because of the astronomical cost of his services. Except the Rockies – they do weird stuff all the time that makes no sense with no direction – but, I don’t know if they have the prospects either because I’m not familiar with their farm as it sits.
Wouldn’t Yankees be compelled to kick the tires to offer Volpe, Dominguez and a pitcher?
I think Cashman would very call. But, the problem is twofold:
1) I think the Nats asking price would be well beyond those players, and
2) I don’t think Cashman is willing to part with them anyway.
I think Soto is worth anybody in the farm system, especially if he could be extended immediately. As we have seen repeatedly, prospects often don’t work out, so to rely on them, is silly. There are a few exceptions, but even 1A prospects have failed spectacularly.
A proven perennial All-Star talent, especially at his age, is certainly worth any prospect, imho. I don’t think Cashman agrees, however.
Been thinking Wells, Sweeney and Wesneski. Trouble is Sweeney will most likely move to third and House is probably going to move to third as well.
True. But they should do it before this year’s deadline. They will get a great deal more for him. This way, the team that gets him has two years to win before they might want to trade him his final year. The Nationals should get at least three top ten prospects. Juan Soto wants to be on a team that wins. This team will not contend until 2024 at the earliest. Then there is the money. He wants to be the first five hundred million dollar man. It is not just the money that is important to him. It’s also winning. I don’t understand what the delay is.
You’re 100% correct, I just don’t know that it’s possible. The prospect-heavy teams rely on those prospects for their future. The other teams, say the Yankees, either don’t have the requisite prospects or don’t have the stomach to give up what it will take.
From the Nats perspective, yeah, this year is optimal because they could rebuild the core of their farm from dealing Soto alone, imo. He would net more prospects, or more value, than any other deal to this point. Or they could mix & match with inexpensive MLB talent with high-level prospects. The possibilities are endless for them. He’s the golden nugget of trades.
I’ve read there is no rush to sign Soto. I don’t understand the logic of these people. Soto is great but he is only one player. They are pace to lose well over 100 games with him. There is only so much he can do. Trading him would fill at least three holes. Not having to pay his salary would also give them financial flexibility. They could build around him but the earliest they will contend with him is the last year of his contract. He wants 500 million but he also wants to win. Keeping him makes no sense to me.
I’d turn down a contract that only paid me $26.92 per year too.
hahah yep, 350$ will surely break Washington and the Lerner’s bank!
Their final job is to get rid of either or both Strass and/or Corbin like the Mariners with Cano and Diaz.
They’ve both done ok. Some bad deals but they won a world series.
Turning down that extension & with the GM & manager more than likely not returning equals a eventual trading off of Soto for a good haul of prospects.
Soto and Strasburg for…. 🙂
Rizzo got the ring, but if you look at what he signed vs what he let walk or trade, it doesn’t look good.
It’s the NATS ownership that should be looked at as being in last year of contract ! Pitiful what they did to a WS roster and kick down the franchise. Sears are empty, who are those players? Soto will walk etc Going back to be like the Senators ? Sell NoW
Per Buster Olney the Nats may feel “compelled” and “motivated” to trade Soto. Giants have the depth for a trade like this. Z needs to make this happen!
Emptying the cupboard for Soto leaves the Giants with Webb, Crawford, Longoria, Belt, Yastrzemski, Wade Jr., Ruf, etc. and no prospects. Not a promising future.
I don’t think SF has the right prospects for a trade. I am thinking Padres,Cardinals, Yankees and maybe Blue Jays.
13 years $350? I don’t blame him for turning that down. I think you forgot the “million”
It was a low ball offer. You offer 350 for ten years. Not thirteen.
$35 a year, what a bargain. I was saying that in the story they said the offer was $350 instead of $350 mill
If i’m Washington and I do end up making the decision to trade Soto, the first call im making is to the Padres and telling them “Let’s start with Abrams, Hassell, Gore and Merrill. Now we can actually start talking trade.”
The Gore boat has already left the dock. But even without Gore, the other three prospects would make that a pretty good haul.
Gotta add Stras to the deal! Especially if SD is the trade partner, as he has a no trade clause.
I don’t think anybody would take him. He is from San Diego but that doesn’t enter the equation imo. The Nationals are probably hoping he retires. Thoracic outlet surgery is so hard to come back from. He was very fragile to begin with.
That would be a great deal. Think Padres would offer Gasser instead of Gore.