Nationals agree to extension with GM Rizzo

Nearly a year after a stirring playoff run that ended with the franchise's first World Series title, the Washington Nationals extended the contract of president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo.

Nearly a year after a stirring playoff run that ended with the franchise's first World Series title, the Washington Nationals extended the contract of president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo. According to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the extension is for three years, keeping Rizzo, 59, at the helm of the club's roster-making decisions through 2023.

"We are thrilled that Mike will continue to lead our club," Nationals managing principal owner Mark D. Lerner said in a release on Saturday. "He guided us through the early years of building this franchise into what it is today -- a perennial contender that brought a World Series championship home to Washington, D.C. last season. I look forward to continuing our strong working relationship for years to come." The Nationals got off to a brutal start in 2019 at 19-31 with rumours that manager Dave Martinez could be dismissed. Instead, the club hit its stride, earned a wild-card berth into the playoffs and stormed their way through the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals before facing the Houston Astros in the World Series.

The Nationals won the title, earning a 6-2 victory over the Astros in Game 7 at Houston. Washington is 951-867 since Rizzo took over as GM at the start of the 2009 season. It is the seventh-best winning percentage (.523) since that time. Since 2012, the Nationals have the third-best record in the major leagues at 743-590.

Rizzo is currently the fourth longest-tenured general manager in the major leagues. --Field Level Media