Rizzo gives Williams credit for job he's done
Nats' GM says decision on manager's status for 2016 will be made after this season is finished
WASHINGTON -- Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo addressed the job status of manager Matt Williams on Monday.
The Nationals were a popular World Series pick heading into this season, especially after they acquired Max Scherzer. But they were eliminated from the postseason Saturday. They will finish the season in second place behind the Mets.
Asked if Williams would be back in 2016, Rizzo said, "We are going to make 2016 decisions after we finish 2015. He is under contract to be the manager next year."
Williams was criticized for the way he handled the bullpen, which was the team's weakest link, and for claiming he didn't know anything about the dugout altercation between closer Papelbon and outfielder Bryce Harper.
Video: Williams on Papelbon's suspension, dugout altercation
Rizzo talked about the job Williams has done this year.
"Matt has persevered through a lot of different injuries, a lot of different ebbs and flows of the season," Rizzo said. "He had to juggle many different lineups as any manager has in baseball. He had to deal with many injuries at different times and many groups of players coming back off the disabled list."