Five First-Time GMs Nationals Could Consider to Replace Mike Rizzo

The Washington Nationals will likely conduct a full search before determining who will permanently replace Mike Rizzo.

Aug 2, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; a Washington Nationals batting helmet sits on the ledge in the dugout during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning at Nationals Park. | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

There was a time that Mike Rizzo was a first-time general manager. It was with the Washington Nationals.

He joined the organization in 2007 as an assistant GM. Two years later, he had the full-time job and he held it until he was fired on Sunday.

The Nationals could go with an experienced GM to replace him, or they could go with a first-time GM like Rizzo was. That would put his interim replacement, Mike DeBartolo, into play.

But, if owner Mark Lerner doesn’t like that option, here are five potential first-time GM candidates to consider, a list that is by no means exhaustive. To qualify, those listed cannot have been a full-time GM or lead decision-maker before. Sometimes the titles don’t always speak to what the candidate is actually doing.

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Randy Flores

Flores, a former Major League pitcher, won a World Series ring as a player with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006. After his playing career ended in 2010, he moved into the front office after launching the start-up OnDeckDigital, which was used by several MLB club and utilized video capture technology to allow players and scouts to evaluate their game play.

He went back to St. Louis in 2015 as the organization’s director of scouting. He became the assistant GM in 2018 and works under John Mozeliak, who is under contract through this season.

If the Cardinals decide to move on from Mozeliak, then Flores may not be an option.

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Carlos Rodriguez

The long-time Tampa Bay Rays staffer is now the team’s vice president of baseball operations, which makes him president of baseball operations Erik Neander’s lieutenant.

Before that, he oversaw player development for a minor league organization that led baseball in winning percentage for two straight years and was the Rays’ director of international scouting.

He has a strong background in player development, something that would be attractive to the Nationals. Prying the Puerto Rico native out of Tampa might be tough.

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Jeff Kingston

Kingston, a Pennsylvania native, has primarily been a west coast guy but he has a long career in baseball.

He parlayed an internship with the San Diego Padres into a director of baseball operations job and then became Seattle’s assistant GM in 2009. He spent nine seasons with the Mariners before joining the Dodgers as assistant GM and VP of baseball operations.

He’s led baseball ops, player development, analytics departments and done contract negotiations. He’s fully prepared for Rizzo’s former role, where he was both the GM and the president of baseball ops.

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James Harris

He interviewed for the Houston Astros GM job in 2023 before Dana Brown was hired.

Harris has been with the Guardians for nearly a decade. He started as a director of player development and then was eventually promoted to assistant GM in 2022. He spent a year with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a special assistant in baseball operations and has experience with the Philadelphia Eagles and the University of Oregon.

His experience in the NFL and in the college ranks could lead to some out-of-the-box thinking.

Eve Rosenbaum

Rosenbaum is the closest in the game to following in Kim Ng’s footsteps as a general manager. She currently works in the Baltimore Orioles front office as the assistant GM to Mike Elias.

She’s been their assistant GM since 2022, with an emphasis on roster management, transactions, financial planning, and Major League operations. Before that she served as the organization’s director of baseball development. Before that, she was in Houston and was the Astros’ manager of international scouting.

She’s a native of Bethesda, Md. So she wouldn’t have to commute far to become baseball second female GM.  

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