Nationals sign General Manager Mike Rizzo to a three-year contract extension

The 59-year-old took over as full-time general manager in 2009, just months after the Nationals drafted Stephen Strasburg with the first pick. Since, Rizzo has kept the Nationals competitive for nearly a decade, building annual contenders before the team won it all last year. His expiring contract was an immediate topic after the title run, but the Lerner family, which owns the franchise, had strung out discussions. The Lerners promoted him to GM in 2009, first as the interim choice and then into the full-time role, and have since signed him to multiple extensions, with none coming quite as late as this one.

“We are thrilled that Mike will continue to lead our club,” Nationals managing principal owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. “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.”