A long-built legacy in the Washington Nationals officially came to an end this weekend. The franchise abruptly cut ties with its long-term manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo. Martinez had been with the team for eight seasons, while Rizzo took over the GM role back in 2009. Well, what made owner Mark Lerner go that route?

Before entering June, the Nationals were around .500; however, they’re unable to make a leap above that figure. They lost seven back-to-back games in early May. Given the damage, it prompted the team to call for an emergency meeting. Following that, they stacked 11 wins across 15 games. By the end of May, the Nationals climbed to 28-30, only to be met with an even longer losing skid. First, they dropped 11 consecutive games, and by this Sunday, they were brutally swept by the Boston Red Sox, which had them 16 games under .500.

Post Rizzo and Martinez’s exit, ESPN’s Jeff Passan unraveled a deeper rift in the organization. Pressing on a broader critique, he said, “I think you look at the development of some of the younger players. The Nationals haven’t spent money in a while. Like they very easily could’ve gone after Alex Bregman, for example, this winter. And they were not in there at all on any of the major free agents.”

After releasing Martinez and Rizzo from their duties, Lerner himself stated that the team is looking for a “fresh approach.” Well, while they’re into that, Passan believes it’s high time that the Nationals realize that their own financial restraint is the major issue. In fact, Lerner’s statement also included, “This is a pivotal time for our Club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward.”

In the aftermath, former GM Mike Rizzo took a harsh dig at the organization. “The sun will come up tomorrow. That’s the job. I had a great run. Navigated that ownership group for almost 20 years.” Rizzo stated this in a text he had sent to Barry Svrluga from The Washington Post.

He publicly emphasized how coaches grind nonstop and the problem is never with the coaching. Instead, he blamed the players. “It’s always been about the players. Always.” That publicly made statement instantly drew scrutiny.

Still, was it a sound decision from Lerner to make this decision at this stretch of the season?

Ahead of the crucial stretch, the Nationals have made a  big mistake

It shook the league when the Washington Nationals released Martinez and Rizzo from their managerial roles. It’s not the firing; it’s actually the timing that is questionable. The Nationals are just a few days away from making the decision on the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB draft.

Not to forget, we’re less than a month away from the much-awaited trade deadline. The Nationals are currently in a rebuild mode. Moreover, the second half is right ahead of the all star break. Amidst such key stretches of the season, the ownership’s firing decision might have been a mistake.

For now, the Nationals have decided to name Mike DeBartolo as the interim GM. On the other hand, in Martinez’ place, nobody has been announced as a replacement yet. The options the organization has in hand right now are Triple-A manager Matthew LeCroy and the current bench coach, Miguel Cairo.

According to an ex-Nationals executive, the team made this decision only to shift the attention away from them. It’s the timing that is being questioned now. What do you say?