I've told you I'm going to allow the processes to play out, we're going to let the chips fall where they may, were going to look at things honestly and deal with them as appropriate. Having said that, I'm doing all the things that I can to speed the process up and there are many things going on behind the scenes which I can not yet talk about, but I hope to very soon."
(Stan Kasten, via MASN.com, 2/23/2009)
Nats reportedly fire Jose Rijo, shutter Dominican baseball academy.
Jimbo, next.
According to unnamed sources, Stan Kasten is all smiles. And he loves his job!
From ESPN.com:
The Washington Nationals have decided to fire special assistant Jose Rijo and will shut down the team's academy in the Dominican Republic as part of a restructuring of the team's operations in Latin American in the wake of an age-changing scandal involving one of the team's top prospects, several baseball sources have confirmed.
Big props to FJB for keeping up the blow by blow account of the Jim Bowden Axe Watch. NFA, always with a keen eye on the Farm, calls the Rijo firing "a good first step."
Meanwhile...Chico Harlan throws a bucket of water on the Tony LaCava talk, while setting up Rizzo as the obvious (at least, temporary) replacement:
The Washington Nationals, contrary to a published report, have neither requested nor been granted approval from Commissioner Bud Selig to forgo a rule that would require them to consider minority candidates for a general manager opening, a Major League Baseball spokesman said today.
...
Still, a league source said the team would be expected to adhere to league-mandated guidelines for considering minority candidates, should they decide to go outside the organization for a permanent hire, but would be allowed to appoint an interim GM from within the organization without following those guidelines.
Rizzo, meanwhile,is reportedly hard at work in the DR:
Nationals assistant general manager and vice president Mike Rizzo arrived in Santo Domingo on Tuesday to look for alternative sites for the team's Dominican academy. Rizzo also met with Fernando Ravelo, general manager for the Dominican Winter League Tigres de Licey, about replacing Rijo as the team's director of Dominican operations.
...
Sources spotted Rizzo early on Wednesday at a tryout for several Dominican prospects.
(Photo by Getty Images)