New interim general manager Mike DeBartolo spoke with reporters in the Nats’ dugout for about fifteen minutes yesterday in advance of the team’s series opener against the Cardinals, and while doing the right thing and tipping his cap to his old boss made clear that he was his own man with his own ideas, specifically his desire to be better at interpreting and using data and technology at all levels of the organization. It will be interesting to see what he has time to implement, especially at the major league level with a coaching staff that was almost all hand-picked by the also departed manager.

CTA:

There was no storybook emotional performance in the first game after the regime change, just a rain-delayed late slog in which the Nats took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third only to hand it right back (plus one) in the bottom half of the same inning. Jake Irvin walked the leadoff batter in the first inning but got a double play and wound up having one of his best first innings in a long time, needing just thirteen pitches for a clean zero. But he did trudge through the second and then the third innings, finishing six in the end while allowing four runs.

Now that the Lerners have fired the only general manager that they have ever hired, shifting the focus of organizational shortcomings squarely upon themselves (spend money on the team, please!), it is time to wonder if the Lerner-owned Nats will allow DeBartolo to make significant investments in things off the field, which the family has in general been slow or even loath to do. There are also those who wonder if the Lerners might now re-explore selling the team, as they did publicly three years ago. But with the current CBA expiring at the end of next season and a work stoppage very much looming, it is hard to envision any billionaire opting to buy the most irrelevant team in baseball right before they lose a lot of revenue and cash flow.

So, we are likely stuck with the Lerners, regardless of whatever rumors may be circulating out there. Which means we, as fans, need to demand that they quit cutting payroll and give paltry winter budgets better befitting the Pirates or Marlins. While they may not have easy cash flow - a friend of mine pointed out that they could probably move money around easier when interest rates were low (and their buildings had more tenants) - they are still among the five wealthiest owners in the sport, and the franchise and the fans deserve a stronger commitment. Whoever they hire has to spend money smartly - between the three-headed bullpen fiasco and Trevor Williams’s sprained elbow Rizzo might as well have set fire to almost 30% of his paltry budget for free agency - but they have to be allowed to spend, and not to act like there are two Stephen Strasburgs on the active roster making $35M each, instead of just one sunk cost. The trade deadline could be very instructive as to what their inclinations will be in that regard.

Interim manager Miguel Cairo addressed the media for the first time before yesterday’s game and quickly drew attention with his remarks. Notably, Cairo defended former manager Dave Martinez, stating: "[Dave Martinez] he didn't do anything wrong. You know, he didn't do anything wrong. He worked, he let us work. He worked hard. He ensured that every player was in the right position to succeed…”

Regardless of opinions about Mike Rizzo’s dismissal, many felt that parting ways with Martinez was necessary, though perhaps the timing could have been handled better, possibly waiting until the offseason for a quieter exit. Cairo’s comments, suggesting Martinez bears no responsibility for the team’s struggles, seem to overlook the reality that someone must be accountable for the current state of the club. To claim Martinez has zero blame is, frankly, a stretch.

🔊 SOUND OFF: What do you think of these comments?

📌 LHP Alex Clemey has been added to the MLB All-Star Futures Game (X Link)

📌 Nationals prospect Travis Sykora, sidelined, will miss the Futures Game (The Nats Report)

📌 Kiebert Ruiz to the IL and a handful of Roster Moves (The Nats Report)