What a Difference a Day Makes

Sports Illustrated’s John Heyman was among the naysayers who did not believe the Nationals would sign Stephen Strasburg, but within a day of reeling him in, Heyman was leading the charge for what he was calling the “Nats Run to Respectability.”  Perceptions are important, don’t get me wrong, and having the Washington Nationals perceived as a better organization is good, like waking from a very bad dream and realizing that’s what it was –a dream.  But….

But unfortunately, there is still that nagging reality of wins and losses—the latter of which we got beaucoup.   On Thursday night the Nationals were swept by the Colorado Rockies at home, illustrating how very far in the hole this team really is.

Addressing this deeper problem got a big boost on Thursday when Nationals president Stan Kasten announced the hiring of Mike Rizzo as the permanent GM.  In Tom Boswell’s column Tuesday describing the signing of Strasburg, he gave Rizzo a big callout, saying that it was Rizzo going toe-to-toe with Boras that got the job done.  His column this morning provides a deeper analysis of the man, Mike Rizzo.

There were rumors on Wednesday that Jerry Dipoto was going to be named to the permanent GM job, but those were immediately knocked down by the Nationals leadership.  Dipoto is younger and less experienced as both a talent evaluator and front office manager.  Picking him over Rizzo would have been a slap in the face to Rizzo, especially after he landed the biggest talent of the past few decades and got him at a price no one thought realistic. 

More importantly, Rizzo has moved what was the Jim Bowden disaster back into calm waters.  His first task was jump-starting the Nationals Dominican Complex after Bowden was implicated in the Smiley Gonzalez fiasco.  And the team on the field in April was pure Bowden.  Five-tool attitude problems abounded and the pitching staff featured Daniel Cabrera as one of two big off-season additions. 

Rizzo has slowly crafted a team that has a winning record since the All-Star break.  Replacing Manny Acta with Jim Riggleman seems to have been the catalyst that made more sense of the existing pieces.  But getting rid of players like Lastings Milledge–just one who seemed challenged to gut it out on the field–has helped send a message about what kind of team Rizzo wants in Washington. 

Now the harder tasks await.  Although the fanatics want the Nationals to lose enough to qualify for Bryce Harper–the likely number one draft pick next June–the trade off hardly seems worth it.  The winning has to start somewhere and if the team can climb out of last place in MLB for 2009 or the National League, every one is likely to see it as a positive and be glad to have the third pick in the draft. 

Last year at this time everyone knew that Bowden would land Adam Dunn either at the trade deadline or in the off season.  Many have been surprised at the positive contributor Dunn has been, but the level of confidence is much higher in Rizzo’s ability to bring quality players to DC this off-season. 

The menu for 2009 will include Orlando Hudson who the Nationals went after in 2008 along with Teixeira.  The Nationals web site and other sources indicate that they will also seek a top tier starting pitcher and a quality reliever.  That is where the the new perceptions that Jon Heyman is talking about take on real significance.  Free agent players saw no evidence of a new day in Washington, but now they may.

It needs to be more than just the fans who will sign up believing Stephen Strasburg is step one.  Making the rest of it happen will be Mike Rizzo’s job now and there is no one around DC that thinks there is anyone better to go after this year’s Mark Teixeira in the off-season, to keep the Nationals moving ahead one day at a time.