The Washington Nationals are making a pair of changes at the top.
The franchise split with both manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo on Sunday, the team announced. The move came shortly after the team’s 6-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox, which dropped them to 37-53 on the season.
The news also came just a week before the MLB Draft, in which the Nationals hold the No. 1 pick.
“On behalf of our family and the Washington Nationals organization, I first and foremost want to thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and our city,” Nationals owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. “Our family is eternally grateful for their years of dedication to the organization, including their roles in bringing a World Series trophy to Washington, D.C.
“While we are appreciative of their past success, the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. 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.”
Martinez was in his eighth season leading the Nationals, and it was his first managerial job in the league. He took over ahead of the 2018 campaign, and he led the team to its first and only World Series title the following year, when the Nationals beat the Houston Astros in seven games.
After that, things went downhill fast. The team hasn’t reached the playoffs or had a winning record in the six seasons since. The Nationals finished last in their division in all but one of those campaigns, and only the Colorado Rockies have lost more games over that span.
In total, Martinez went 500-621 as the team’s manager. He was the organization’s longest-serving manager since it relocated to Washington D.C. from Montreal after the 2004 season.
Rizzo was first hired by the Nationals as an assistant general manager in 2006, and he was promoted to the top job in 2009. Both Rizzo and Martinez were in the final year of their respective contracts.
“Nationals fans have a lot to be optimistic about, and we see these changes as difficult, but necessary to move in a positive direction,” Lerner said. “As has been the case since my late father took control of the team almost 20 years ago, our family remains committed to winning and bringing another World Series trophy to Washington, D.C.”
Mike DeBartolo will take over as the interim general manager for the Nationals. He previously served as the assistant general manager within the organization.
“Mike DeBartolo is a smart and thoughtful executive, and we’re fortunate to have him as part of our organization,” Lerner said. “As we hold the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s MLB Draft and we look ahead to the trade deadline, we are confident in his ability to lead the baseball operations staff through these next, important months.”
The Nationals will announce an interim manager on Monday, one day before their three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals kicks off in Missouri.
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