Firing Mike Rizzo and Dave Martinez was the correct decision at the wrong time

In case you've been living under a rock, Nationals manager Dave Martinez and General Manager Mike Rizzo were fired on Sunday night. Rightfully so, this is the story that has been the center of attention all week. And yet, I find myself puzzled over exactly how we got here.

What has really changed from last year (or even the last couple years) to now? Why does the team think this week was the time to make this decision, particularly this close to the MLB Draft? And why is the team allowing this to overshadow MacKenzie Gore and - most importantly - James Wood leading up to All-Star week?

The Contractual Mess

The firings of Rizzo and Martinez were due, in part, to option years in their contracts being due for renewal this month. Since the options for 2026 were not going to be exercised, both men would be entering the final year of their contract. Since there was no intent to retain Rizzo and Martinez long term, both were relieved from their duties.

On the surface, there's nothing wrong with that. Whether you feel that they should've been fired or not, surely you can understand that this is what happens in a results-driven business, and the results have been underwhelming recently during their tenure.

What's hard to fathom, however, is why these terms would exist in Rizzo and Martinez's contracts. Experts and media members have weighed in this week, stating that these terms are unusual - and close to unprecedented.

I can understand why an individual (like Rizzo or Martinez) would want this, since it gives them a head start towards finding a new job, as opposed to getting fired at the end of the season like everyone else. But from the team's perspective, it creates an uncomfortable situation. You're left to either keep a disgruntled employee who knows the end of their employment is near, or you fire them halfway through the season, which creates a messy situation that requires an interim manager and/or GM.

At this stage, we're bordering on a public relations disaster. On Wednesday, Mike Rizzo appeared on The Sports Junkies, much like he used to when he was still General Manager. Personally, although I commend him for giving the fans some answers, I wasn't a fan of the interview. A few of his responses came across as combative and self-serving.

The Timing on the Calendar

In addition to needing placeholders in these two roles, the timing on the baseball calendar is pretty terrible. The MLB Draft takes place this coming Sunday and Monday - one week after the firing of Mike Rizzo as General Manager and final authority on draft decisions.

Granted, Rizzo hired Danny Haas and Brad Ciolek a couple years ago to lead draft efforts and scouting on the ground. But still, no draft selection is made without the approval of the General Manager. That used to be Rizzo, but now it's interim GM - and analytics guru - Mike DeBartolo.

Secondarily, the Trade Deadline is on July 31. At least DeBartolo was given some lead time in order to make some important decisions, when it comes to how active or inactive to be on the trade market. Still, if you stop and think about it, less than a month isn't that much time - especially when it comes to more important players like MacKenzie Gore (I wouldn't necessarily trade him, but it's an option that should be considered if the team isn't likely to be competitive within the next couple years). The trade market was an area in which Mike Rizzo excelled, so there is a fairly high standard to live up to.

Let's think about this, particularly in Rizzo's case. You're firing a General Manager a week before the MLB Draft and the same month as the Trade Deadline? Does that really make sense? Why not do something like this during the offseason?

All in all, when it comes to the role of a General Manager, this comes at about the worst possible time on the baseball calendar. That can likely be overcome in some regard, since Rizzo's draft history leaves a lot to be desired. Nonetheless, disrupting the reporting structure this close to such key dates is never ideal.

I'm also not sure how seriously the Nationals are considering interim manager Miguel Cairo for the full-time role beyond this season. My assumption is that retaining him wouldn't be their preference and they'd rather hire someone more qualified. If that's the case, I'm not sure what half a season of Cairo at the helm accomplishes, aside from simply being different from Dave Martinez.

The Product on the Field

No one should really be arguing that these decisions aren't justified in the big picture. Although things haven't always been bad, the team on the field isn't performing well. That's due to everything from bad drafting, poor minor league development, and subpar in-game coaching at the big league level.

What stinks about this situation, however - even aside from the Baseball Operations matters discussed previously - is that doing this in early July almost completely overshadows the All-Star accolades received by MacKenzie Gore and James Wood.

These firings were announced on the same night that Wood and Gore were officially named All-Star reserves, and three days after Wood was announced as a Home Run Derby participant. Do we even remember those announcements happened?

Overall, even though the current product on the field is bad, let's be honest here. Has anything really changed recently? We've gone through back-to-back 71-win seasons in 2023 and 2024, and that's about what the Nationals are on pace for this year. Rizzo's draft history has been terrible for more than a decade. What made now the time to make these moves? And why is it so urgent to do it right now, as opposed to later in the season or the offseason?

What do you think. Do you agree with the decisions, was now the time to make them, and what do you think the long-term impact will be? Let me know your thoughts @stephen_newman1 on X.

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