Since winning the World Series in 2019, the Washington Nationals have taken a nosedive. After losing Anthony Rendon, Juan Soto, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner and Stephen Strasburg among others, the club was forced to rebuild.
And even if the Nats do not win yet, the nursery of hopes begins to be solid.
On the other hand, one of those who has not left since 2019 is manager Davey Martinez. We know that he is greatly respected throughout the league, and despite many seasons of repeated defeats, he still seems to be in the good graces of the organization.
Lo and behold, today the Nationals rewarded him with a two-year extension to keep him in town. It’s still rare to see an extension for the manager of a team that is 57-68, but it proves how much Martinez is respected.
Note also that the club’s CEO, Mike Rizzo, should also sign a new contract with the organization shortly.
In the case of Martinez, there is talk of a two-year pact with an option for a third year. It will therefore be up to him to manage the development of the club’s big hopes who will arrive in town in the coming years.
Guys like Dylan Crews, James Wood and Brady House will evolve under his tutelage, therefore.
Even though he’s only 378-455 at the helm of the Nationals, consider that Martinez really hasn’t always had star teams. This year, for example, resources are limited, but he manages to bring his club to a good number of victories.
With all due respect to the Nationals players, this club doesn’t look like a 57-68 team, since talent is pretty thin overall. On the other hand, Martinez is able to bring out the best in his guys, so they win games here and there.
And for Rizzo, it is also a good vote of confidence for the one who has started the reconstruction of the team well. He traded Soto, Turner, and Scherzer at high prices while they were in town, and he found valuable veterans (Nelson Cruz last year and Jeimer Candelario this year, for example) in the autonomy market that reported other hopefuls at the deadline.
In short, we advocate the status quo in Washington while the club continues its reconstruction. And either way, they are two well-deserved and very smart signings for a club that are just a few steps away from becoming competitive again.
