WASHINGTON — Manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo were fired by the Washington Nationals in moves that were surprising for their timing, even if the club is more than halfway through its sixth consecutive losing season since winning the 2019 World Series.
The team announced the changes Sunday just hours after Washington's 6-4 loss at home completed a sweep by the Boston Red Sox. The Nationals are 37-53 and last in the NL East; the only National League club with a worse record is the Colorado Rockies.
But the amateur draft is just a week away, and Washington has the No. 1 overall pick.
Senior VP and assistant GM Mike DeBartolo is taking over for Rizzo on an interim basis. Bench coach Miguel Cairo was named interim manager Monday.
''Miguel is well-respected in our organization and around baseball,'' DeBartolo said. ''A diligent worker and student of the game, he has a proven track record of showing strong leadership in a variety of situations, and I believe that his voice and energy will serve as a catalyst to our team and our fan base in the second half of the season.''
Washington could have exercised options to extend the contracts of both Martinez and Rizzo beyond this season.
''While we are appreciative of their past successes," Nationals owner Mark Lerner said in a statement issued by the team, "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.''
Rizzo's time running the Nationals is over after more than a decade and a half. One of the Lerner family's first hires when it assumed control of the organization, Rizzo had been GM since 2009 and added the title of president of baseball operations in 2013.