According to Washington Post beat reporter James Wagner, the Nationals have fired manager Matt Williams.
“After a tumultuous and disappointing 2015 season, the Washington Nationals have fired Manager Matt Williams with a year remaining on his contract.”
“Expected to repeat as National League East champions and contend for their first World Series title, the Nationals and their team-record $164-million payroll finished with a 83-79 record and failed to reach the playoffs.”
On Sunday, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo spoke with reporters and said the club was “not going to let people twist in the wind” and the organization wants to begin preparing for 2016 when asked if Williams would be back next season.
It was widely reported that Williams had lost his clubhouse which several players anonymously admitted. He was also under repeated fire for many questionable managerial decisions including a gross mismanagement of how he handled his bullpen.
The icing on the cake came last week, when he didn’t realize that Jonathan Papelbon had attacked fellow teammate Bryce Harper in the dugout. Immediately after the ugly incident, Williams went ahead and used Papelbon to close out the ninth inning, swearing after the game that he had no clue that the closer has been in an altercation minutes earlier.
You knew he was done after that.
