WASHINGTON — In nearly a decade as general manager of the Washington Nationals, Mike Rizzo has proved adept at wheeling and dealing, at drafting and developing, to the tune of four NL East titles in the past six years.
When it came time to discuss his own contract — talks that resulted in a two-year extension through 2020, announced hours before Thursday's home opener against the New York Mets — Rizzo joked that he wasn't quite as tough at the table as usual.
"My negotiating skills are much better when I'm negotiating for a trade or with free agents than I was for myself; you don't usually buy a house when you're negotiating a contract.