Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez was ejected in the sixth inning of Wednesday's game against the Seattle Mariners for arguing a play at the plate where Keibert Ruiz was called out for running out of the baseline.
The Washington Nationals open spring training Wednesday with manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo in the final year of their contracts. And for most teams, the duo's lack of long-term job security would be glaring.
Patrick Corbin's 6-19 record and 6.31 ERA are far from the scariest numbers for the Nationals. Those figures are the $24 million and $35 million salaries that Corbin is still owed in 2023 and 2024.
Shortstop C.J. Abrams is just 21 years old, but he's already got plenty of pressure on him. The way Abrams performs over the final two months could go a long way toward convincing the fanbase that trading away a generational talent like Juan Soto was maybe the right move.
The Nationals are one of the worst teams in the majors with a 29-52 record, and it's unlikely to get better as the summer wanes. Despite all the ugliness of the first three months, the Nationals have decided to give a vote of confidence to general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez for the 2023 season.