And Fire Rizzo.
And Sell the Team
Look I've been an advocate for Rizzo, who can deal with the best of them, and is perfectly acceptable at IDing long range contract targets (some bomb, some work out - that's just how it goes). But sticking by Davey here isn't about results or Davey's proven track record with kids (which doesn't exist), it's about keeping a guy who doesn't complain about the roster at all and works quietly with whatever he's given. Rizzo bombed in his FA acquisitions this off-season but Davey won't complain. Nor will he eat the blame. That's the trade off.
As for the Lerners. I think Ted wanted to win, and fought through his more.. penurious tendencies (remember the "wait you want to Fed Ex this stuff?") to pay for an expensive team. I think Mark wants to win but Mark isn't solo in charge. It's Mark and siblings who are more inclined to sell than win. Without the backing of an owner who will spend you are completely at the whim of timing on getting a window open for a brief period of time (see Pirates, Pittsburgh). That's no way for a team to be run, hitting 3 year windows every generation.
This offseason will either cement these feelings or prove them wrong, but they aren't things I've said before and I don't mean them lightly. Fix what's broken or stop being in charge.
4 comments:
If the Nats get swept, at home, by the literally-on-pace-to-shatter-the-worst-record-in-history Rockies, to cap off this losing streak, and Davey isn't fired immediately, then I'm with you. Between the team's performance, the lack of player development in the major leagues, the track record when the roster isn't chock full of superstars (heck, that 2019 championship team grossly underperformed based on its roster quality given that awful first month and a half), there is nothing to recommend this man. And if Rizzo isn't willing to make that change, then despite his successes (he *does* have a good track record overall of quality FA signings and trades, though his bullpen-building is execrable and the building of systems for successful player-development work in the minors lousy) he needs to go as well. And if ownership won't help fix the team, then they need to sell it to someone who will. (Though there's always the risk of ending up with a Nutting instead of a Cohen or Guggenheim.)
On balance, I keep Rizzo. But there’s a solid case to be made that he should go. The ENORMOUS problems with replacing him: (1) do you think the Lerner family is capable of identifying a better GM; and (2) do you think the Lerner family is capable of convincing (with dollars and words) the better-than-Rizzo candidate to take the job?
For me, the answer is a RESOUNDING “no.” Until the Lerners sell the team, I’d predict a Lerner-picked GM does worse, not better.
Unfortunately I doubt the current Lerner family ownership lacks the necessary interest to move on from Davey, and especially Rizzo. Maybe in the offseason, but it would be huge surprise for them to make a dramatic in-season move- though it certainly is warranted
Rizzo lavished unwavering support on DM after the Marlins sweep. Looks like the wagons have circled. He'll look pretty hypocritical if he sticks a fork in now. But something has to give soon.
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