One season after winning the National League Manager of the Year award, Matt Williams will not return as the Washington Nationals' skipper in 2016.
Williams, 49, finished 83-79 with the club this season, which was one of the most disappointing campaigns in the MLB. He's 179-145 in two years as a manager.
"After a tumultuous and disappointing 2015 season, the Washington Nationals have fired Manager Matt Williams with a year remaining on his contract," reports James Wagner of the Washington Post.
"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."
The Nats dismissed Manager Matt Williams this morning, per a person familiar with the situation. Ends two years as manager of Nats.
— James Wagner (@JamesWagnerWP) October 5, 2015
According to a source, Matt Williams met with GM Mike Rizzo this morning. Rizzo was apologetic when telling Williams the news. #Nats #MLB
— William Ladson (@washingnats) October 5, 2015
Here's the official announcement from the Washington Nationals:
The #Nats have relieved Matt Williams and his coaching staff of their duties: pic.twitter.com/I9HP64Oar9
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) October 5, 2015
Williams was rumored to be on the hot seat ever since the team began to slide in July and fall behind the New York Mets. Washington went 11-13 that month, 12-17 in August and 13-14 in September. They finished seven games behind the Mets in the NL East, which was good for second place in the division, and 14 games behind the Chicago Cubs for the second NL wild card spot.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported last week that Williams "will indeed be given his pink slip following the year."
The straw that seemingly broke the camel's back was the dugout fight between closer Jonathan Papelbon and star player Bryce Harper that occurred last weekend. When asked about the incident after the game, Williams said he was not aware of the severity of the altercation between the two players.
Various reports also suggested Williams had lost the clubhouse, as many players grew uneasy with his "lack of communication, handling of the bullpen and tense demeanor," Wagner added.
Keep an eye out for Cal Ripken Jr. to succeed Williams. The Hall of Famer said earlier this season that he had "serious discussions" about becoming manager of the Nationals before GM Mike Rizzo have the job to Williams.
#Nats expected to consider Cal Ripken Jr. for managerial vacancy. @Ken_Rosenthal wrote about the possibility here: https://t.co/UjKtydrEgL
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) October 5, 2015
