The Arizona Diamondbacks reportedly have their sights set on who they want to run baseball operations. Reports indicate that the Diamondbacks want Washington Nationals general manager and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo to run the show.
“According to a source close to the Diamondbacks ownership….Mike Rizzo the Nationals GM is at the top of their list to be their next President of Baseball Operations and plan on asking permission from the Nationals at the conclusion of the Nationals post-season,” ESPN’s Jim Bowden said.
Now, would this be a good move for Arizona?
Rizzo certainly has his detractors. Going back to 2012, Washington has been similar to the San Francisco Giants. The Nats have made the playoffs in the odd numbered years (2012, 2014, 2016), and missed in the even numbered years (2013, 2015). The difference, of course, is that the Giants have won two World Series in that time (plus another in 2010).
Meanwhile, through Game 3 of the National League Division Series, the Nats haven’t seen a National League Championship Series since 1981 when they were the Montreal Expos.
The decision to shut Stephen Strasburg down in 2012 — which Rizzo championed — will always be a source of debate.
With that said, Washington has undeniably turned its franchise around under Rizzo’s guidance.
Even with playoff frustrations the Nationals/Expos franchise has improved under Mike Rizzo pic.twitter.com/3TGf9Grc10
— Sportsnaut (@Sportsnaut) October 10, 2016
All five of the Nats’ winning seasons and three playoff appearances have come in the last five years.
The cynical take would be that he just hit the jackpot two years in a row and drafted Strasburg and Bryce Harper in consecutive years with the top overall pick.
That’s true, but the Nationals’ strength goes well beyond two players. Rizzo has also been behind savvy trades (acquiring Trea Turner), smart free agent moves (Daniel Murphy, Max Scherzer) and other draft picks (Lucas Giolito, Anthony Rendon). He clearly knows how to build a deep organization.
That’s something that the Diamondbacks need. Over the last two, we’ve seen National League West teams fail miserably looking for the quick fix. In 2015, it was the San Diego Padres. In 2016, it was Arizona. As a result, both teams have dramatically different looking front offices now.
The Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers are reliable, but not unbeatable. The organization that finally does end the two-team monopoly will be the one that builds a team, not the one that looks for the quick fix.
Additionally, Rizzo has experience with this. Not long ago, the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies had relegated the Nationals to second-class citizen status in the National League East. Clearly, that’s no longer the case.
As far as the Diamondbacks hiring Rizzo goes, only two problems exist.
One, Rizzo’s contract runs through the 2018 season. So, just to interview Rizzo, the Diamondbacks (or any team) would need permission from Washington’s ownership. Without that, this move will not happen.
Two, assuming it does, there’s still a fairly wide range of dates where Washington’s season could end. The Nationals’ season could be over as soon as Tuesday, but could also run through the seventh game of the World Series, scheduled for November 2.
That shouldn’t be a big problem.
The hot stove season doesn’t usually get going until the weeks after the World Series, anyway. The Diamondbacks need to be patient for the right guy. That’s even true if it means waiting until November to hire a new field manager — a task that should be left to the new general manager in Arizona.
Rizzo’s track record isn’t perfect. But as far as the Diamondbacks are concerned, he’s the right guy.