Rizzo glad to get extension finalized, avoid distraction

Though he might not have been worried about his contract status, Mike Rizzo sensed it was starting to become a topic of conversation within the Nationals clubhouse. So when the opportunity arose this week to get a two-year extension finalized, the longtime general manager felt the time was right.

"I thought it was important for the team not to have this as a distraction," Rizzo said this morning as his team took batting practice before its home opener. "And I thought going forward it was becoming (one). I heard some players being more vocal about it. I'm glad it's behind us now and there's some continuity and consistency."

Rizzo's deal, announced at 7 a.m., had been in the works for several months, but really started taking shape in the last few days. When the Nationals' team charter arrived from Atlanta on Wednesday night, Rizzo met with ownership and signed the paperwork.

The length of the contract - it expires after the 2020 season - may be shorter than some would have expected. But the financial terms - an average of $4 million per year, a source familiar with the deal confirmed - makes Rizzo among the highest-paid GMs in baseball, behind only the Cubs' Theo Epstein, Dodgers' Andrew Friedman and Yankees' Brian Cashman.

Despite his track record, Rizzo may not have enjoyed a ton of leverage in this situation, given the lack of likely openings elsewhere in the sport and the fact he has consistently professed his preference for staying in Washington. He even bought a new house near Nationals Park over the winter.

"My negotiating skills are much better when I'm negotiating for a trade or free agents than I was for myself," he said. "You don't usually buy a house when you're negotiating a contract. I made no bones about where I wanted to be and wanted to do. I came to a deal that I'm very happy with and satisfied with. The years are important to me, but the (average annual value) of the deal is right where I wanted it to be. I think everything else takes care of itself in the long run. Like I told the players, if we win, we all eat better. That's kind of our motto."

Though he's been at the helm of the Nationals' baseball operations department since 2009, Rizzo's uncertain status threatened to loom over the club all season. Today's announcement eases whatever questions might have been growing.

"It was a little bit of a concern," said Davey Martinez, who got a three-year contract in November to be the club's latest manager. "But if you know Mike and you know what he does, it'd be hard-pressed for anybody to let him go. I mean, he's really good at what he does. I've learned a lot about just how he develops players and what he thinks of players. And he's helped me out a lot so far."

Rizzo's contract may have threatened to loom over the season, but it's still nothing compared to the specter of Bryce Harper's pending free agency. Today's news doesn't figure to have any substantial effect on Harper's ultimate decision, but it certainly doesn't hurt that he knows he'll be negotiating with someone who first scouted him 10 years ago.

"Riz is a great guy," Harper said. "Somebody that's going to have your back, each and every night. Somebody that's going to battle for you in the trenches, when you're going bad or going good. I've got a lot of respect for Rizzo. He's just one of the guys and part of this organization and part of this team, and I look forward to telling him congrats and I'm very happy for him."