Nationals Hit Reset Button, Oust Rizzo and Martinez Before Draft

One of MLB’s longest-tenured front-office executives is now out, along with his fellow World Series–winning manager, in a surprising club overhaul happening just days before the league’s All-Star break and draft.

Nationals managing principal owner Mark Lerner fired president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez, with Rizzo having been with the club since 2006 and Martinez since late 2017. The pair led the Nationals to a dramatic World Series title in 2019, but the club since then has posted five straight losing seasons and was well in line for a sixth as a weekend sweep by the Red Sox left Washington with a 37–53 record and in last place in the National League East division.

“The on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be,” Lerner said. “This is a pivotal time for our club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward.”

To Lerner’s latter point, the Nationals have the No. 1 pick in the July 13–14 draft. While prior No. 1 selections by Washington have yielded generational talents such as pitcher Stephen Strasburg and outfielder Bryce Harper, there is not a consensus, can’t-miss player this time around, and it’s not certain who they will select. 

There are also broader questions surrounding the club and core parts of its business operations. The Lerner family previously entertained purchase offers for the club, but then elected to end that process in early 2024. Still, concerns exist about the Lerner family’s willingness to keep up with spending patterns around the league, and the Nationals’ 2025 luxury-tax payroll of $138.6 million ranks 23rd in the league, well below smaller markets such as neighboring Baltimore, Seattle, and Kansas City. 

More recently, the Nationals resolved a two-decade local media-rights dispute with MLB and the Orioles-controlled Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. Washington will be free to strike a new rights deal of its own after a final season on MASN in 2025. 

Nationals assistant GM Mike DeBartolo will oversee the club’s baseball operations on an interim basis, including draft-related matters. Miguel Cairo, previously the team’s bench coach, was named interim manager on Monday.

Prior History

Rizzo, a former scouting director with the Diamondbacks, was Lerner’s first major hire after the family acquired the Nationals in 2006. Rizzo then rose to take on the club’s leadership position in baseball operations in 2013 and he was a key figure in building the Nationals into a bona fide contender.  

A multiyear rebuild since the 2019 title, however, has not borne fruit, and despite a player core that includes 2025 All-Stars James Wood and MacKenzie Gore as well as rising shortstop CJ Abrams—all acquired by trading Juan Soto to San Diego in 2022—the latest results include a 9–23 record since June 1.

There is a previous occurrence of an MLB club making such a big leadership change right before the draft. In 2006, the Royals fired GM Allard Baird just six days before the draft in which they held the No. 1 pick. Kansas City skipped over players such as Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and Tim Lincecum to select pitcher Luke Hochevar. While certainly not as accomplished as those others, Hochevar was part of the Royals’ World Series–winning team in 2015.