Nationals GM Job May Still Be Undecided

A major league source tells FanHouse "not so fast" on Jerry DiPoto becoming the Nationals' next general manager, as has been reported.

According to the source, acting GM Mike Rizzo -- who has been running the team since Jim Bowden resigned under fire during spring training -- did an impressive enough job in the negotiations to sign No. 1 overall draft pick Stephen Strasburg (who will be introduced Friday at a news conference) that Washington ownership is still considering giving him the job permanently.

The Lerner family and team president Stan Kasten are keeping their intentions very close to the vest. But the Washington Post reported there are signs Rizzo will get the job.

A Nationals source with knowledge of the general manager search went so far as to call the DiPoto report patently false, and even hinted that Rizzo would soon get the job.

The decision has already been made," the source said, "and the best I can tell you -- what's been written is 100-percent wrong."

An additional source familiar with the Washington front office said that the vibe around the organization had shifted, drastically, since the Strasburg signing -- with all signs pointing to Rizzo getting the permanent job.

This being the Nationals, anything could happen. They haven't had a full-time GM for about five months, and the franchise has yet to capitalize on a new stadium in a major market.

Rizzo has made plenty of moves to try to bring Washington up from rock bottom: rebuilding the bullpen, firing manager Manny Acta, trading for Nyjer Morgan and nearly daily transactions to try to make the roster competitive. He has also helped oversee several drafts that have pumped some talent into the lower levels of the organization.

So ownership has to choose whether to promote from within despite being en route to back-to-back 100-loss seasons or looking ungrateful for essentially firing Rizzo after all those efforts just so they could bring in a fresh face to replace him.