Yahoo! Sports Reports: Rizzo Could Be Fired Within 24 hours

“It could happen in the next 24 hours,” insisted one major league executive who said he had it on good authority that DiPoto, the former reliever who has overseen Arizona’s pro scouting the last four years, will be hired by Nationals president Stan Kasten.

Kasten is as close-mouthed on the subject as he was on the pursuit of Strasburg, which ended successfully when the San Diego State right-hander agreed to a four-year, $15.1 million deal.

“I am no help on the GM subject,” Kasten wrote in an email Tuesday."

Rizzo has gained many fans in Washington after taking over for Jim Bowden in spring training this year. Despite his efforts however, Rizzo was never given the permanent position of General Manager. Instead he continuously carried the title of “Acting General Manager.”

Rizzo has given the Washington Nationals a complete face lift from the table scraps Jim Bowden left him into a team that has a definite future and solid core. Gone are heavy feet draggers such as Wily Mo Pena, Lastings Milledge, Daniel Cabrera, Joel Hanrahan, and Julian Tavarez, and in are Nyjer Morgan, pitching prospect Aaron Thompson, and closer Mike MacDougal.

Rizzo has also made arguably, scratch that, easily the two biggest signings in franchise history. Inking first Ryan Zimmerman his spring to a five year $45 million dollar contract, and just last night, signing phenom Stephen Strasburg to a four year $15 million dollar deal.

That last signing alone has earned Rizzo nation-wide notoriety. Many thought signing Strasburg would be near impossible, and certainly no one thought it could get done for less than $20 million, much less for $15 million.

However, despite all the good Rizzo has done during his reign, it seems perhaps that the Nats had all along planned to make this move at this time. Rizzo had a good rapport with Strasburg’s agent Scott Boras, and perhaps Stan Kasten and Ted Lerner didn’t want to mess with a good thing.

We will have to wait this one out, as we have been teased with leads like this before. It was only early June when Fox Sports reported that manager Manny Acta would be fired “within a week.” We all know that took another month before that trigger was pulled.