The Washington Nationals have secured their future by announcing a multiyear contract extension with President of Baseball Operations and General Manager, Mike Rizzo.
The announcement solidifies Rizzo’s position at the helm of the team’s baseball operations.
Rizzo, who has been with the Nationals for 15 years, expressed his commitment to the organization.
“I’m honored and flattered to have this extension. It’s an honor that the Lerner family has entrusted me for so many years with the keys to the franchise,” Rizzo said.
“I hope I’ve been a good caretaker for them thus far … My goal is to put out a product the fan base can be proud of and that we win a lot of games and bring another parade to Washington, D.C.”
We have agreed to a multi-year contract extension with President of Baseball Operations & General Manager Mike Rizzo!
🚨: https://t.co/b4GLucjFbJ pic.twitter.com/Cc0fqn6v9x
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 13, 2023
The move comes at a crucial juncture for the Nationals, who, after winning the World Series in 2019, have struggled in recent years, finishing last in the National League East for three consecutive seasons.
Despite the challenges, they have shown improvement this year, already surpassing their 2022 win total.
Nationals owner Mark Lerner also emphasized the collective vision shared by the franchise.Â
“Together with my family and the entire Nationals staff, we’ve always shared the same dream: to make the Washington Nationals a team that our fans could love and be proud of,” Lerner said in a statement.
“We have all worked collectively to build what was essentially an expansion team with no Major League depth into a contender, and then into a World Series champion. We’ve experienced some tough losing seasons and we’ve hung championship banners, and we’ve done it all together.”
“We are once again hard at work to build a championship contender in D.C.”
Rizzo’s tenure has seen significant roster changes since the team’s World Series victory, with notable trades involving star players like Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, and Juan Soto.
These moves aimed to rebuild the Nationals with an eye on the future.
While Stephen Strasburg has not pitched for the team since June 2022 and is set to retire, the Nationals acquired key building blocks in the form of Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz in the Scherzer and Turner trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Additionally, the trade involving Juan Soto brought in CJ Abrams, who currently serves as the starting shortstop.
This contract extension for Rizzo follows the multiyear extension that the Nationals reached with Manager Dave Martinez on August 22nd, further solidifying the leadership team’s commitment to shaping the future of the franchise.
What do you think of the Nationals decision to extend Rizzo?
Does he deserve to stay with Washington? Or should they have gone in a different direction?