Martinez, 58, there are 378-455 Washington record. He started 2018, the year before he led the team to a World Series title, and is at the helm for the Nationals’ ongoing rebuild.
So like last summer, the ownership opted for the certainty of one of the highest profile positions, feeling the best path forward – and the best option among a stalled process of sale – is the continuation of Martinez in the area. And if they apply that even further up the ladder, an extension for General Manager Mike Rizzo could be next. The Athletic reported Monday that Rizzo and the Nationals close to a deal. Discussions between Rizzo and the Lerner family continued, according to the person familiar with the talks, with no resolutions as of Monday afternoon. Rizzo was the Lerner family’s first hire in 2006, then took over as head of baseball operations in 2009.
The team, which comes from Monday, has struggled since the title season, finishing the last three years in last place in the National League East. But in the second full year of their rebuild, the Nationals have exceeded expectations over the past six weeks. After taking two of three from the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend, they have won seven of nine series and are 21-14 in their past 35 games, the third-best record in the NL over that span. Washington’s farm system has also turned a corner, thanks to an increased investment in player development — in addition to last summer’s Juan Soto trade and drafting of outfielder Dylan Crews with No.
According to a person familiar with the decision-making process, extending Martinez — and likely Rizzo, too — is more about projecting strength to potential buyers than rewarding new success. But the man, a club official, noted that the strong second half certainly didn’t hurt Martinez or Rizzo’s case to stay. The Athletic was the first to report on Martinez’s extension.
At this point, the list of potential buyers who may be interested in these decisions remains short, according to several people familiar with internal conversations about a sale. Ted Leonsis, owner of the Wizards, Capitals, and Mystics, remains the leading (and by some indications, only credible) suitor. But nearly a year after Leonsis bid more than $2 billion for the Nationals, the team remains in the hands of the Lerner family.
The reasons for the holding pattern are complex, according to people familiar with the thinking of the Lerners, who still cite the lingering uncertainty of future television revenue as a remaining obstacle to any buyer. But those people said they still expect the Lerners to sell the team if Leonsis meets their asking price. The question, then, seems to be how high they need to go – and whether Leonsis, who recently bolstered the capital of Monumental Sports with investment from Qatar’s investment fund, is willing to go there.
Since winning the World Series together in 2019, Martinez and Rizzo have basically been a package deal. Until the end of the 2020 season, Rizzo signed an extension in early September, then Martinez’s at the end of the month. Both for two years and a club option for a third. Last summer, before the July 15 deadline to decide on options, the team announced they would be fired, keeping Martinez and Rizzo for at least one more season.
Whenever assessing Martinez publicly, Rizzo noted how the team always played for him regardless of results or talent level on the roster. Ownership has always felt the same, according to a person familiar with their view of Martinez, although the Lerner family remains more focused on the business side and a potential sale.
With his latest extension, Martinez will need to maintain his influence on the staff he spent years building. When he first took the job, the coaches were a combination of his and Rizzo’s picks. But in the years since, Martinez has promoted Tim Bogar to bench coach, promoted Henry Blanco from bullpen coach to head of catching and strategy, and had a big hand in hiring pitching coach Jim Hickey. and hitting coach Darnell Coles. Bogar and Hickey were close to Martinez, their relationship growing when they were on the staff of the Tampa Bay Rays. And Martinez considers Coles and Blanco two of his best friends in the game.
To evaluate Martinez and his coaches in 2023, one must look more closely at player development than wins and losses (although the Nationals, at 57-68, have surpassed their win total from last year). Along with their emerging young core, drastic improvements for shortstop CJ Abrams and catcher Keibert Ruiz — at least at the plate — point in the staff’s favor. Luis GarcÃa, however, is currently a mark against them, as the second baseman was sent down to the minors with a .656 OPS in early August.
As for the pitching staff, the club will decide if Hickey is the right fit to help Josiah Gray, MacKenzie Gore, Cade Cavalli and Jake Irvin take the next step. And then there’s the supporting cast, including several players fighting for a spot in the rebuild. Lane Thomas, Kyle Finnegan, Hunter Harvey, Stone Garrett, Riley Adams and Jordan Weems have had solid years. Victor Robles, too, before back issues sidelined him.
That’s not to say that everything went right, nor that every player reached his potential. And of course, if things go the way of the Nationals, the clubhouse will be very different in the future. After Crews was promoted to the Class AA Harrisburg Senators on Sunday, Washington has him, James Wood, Brady House and Robert Hassell III, each a top prospect, with the same minor league affiliate. Starter Jackson Rutledge, the team’s first-round pick in 2019, is one step away from the majors, pitching for the Class AAA Rochester Red Wings. That’s an incomplete list of possibilities, all of which are interesting, none of which are certain to work.
Since the 2021 trade deadline, when the Nationals traded eight veterans for 12 players, Martinez has been excited about the next wave of talent coming into the system, a wave that has grown stronger over the past two years. July. Then sometimes, usually off camera, he would joke about hoping he was there, right there in his office, when the players came.
This contract is not an absolute guarantee that will happen. But in a changing game and business, it’s about as close as Martinez gets.