How the Nationals' front office shakeup effects the Angels' draft plans

The Washington Nationals sent the Angels and rest of the MLB world into a tizzy earlier this week when news broke that they would be firing both manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo. The firings came with the Nationals sitting at 37-53, and heading for another year of missing out on the playoffs as they have done every season since winning the World Series in 2019.

In a statement released Monday, Nationals owner Mark Lerner wrote, "On behalf of our family and the Washington Nationals organization, I first and foremost want to thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and our city. Our family is eternally grateful for their years of dedication to the organization, including their roles in bringing a World Series trophy to Washington, D.C. While we are appreciative of their past success, the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. This is a pivotal time for our club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward."

The timing of this seems extremely odd as it pertains to Mike Rizzo, as he and his front office were preparing to pick first overall in the MLB Draft next week. With the Angels selecting directly behind them, how does this effect the draft and how things may shake out?

How the Nationals' front office shakeup effects the Angels' draft plans

Most draft sites have the Nationals keyed in on college pitcher Kade Anderson. While most of those same sites have prep shortstop Ethan Holliday as their highest rated prospect, most expect the Nationals (and the Angels) to select college arms at the top of the draft (in what would be a huge mistake).

While the general manager being fired certainly shakes things up, interim general manager Mike DeBartolo has been with the Nationals in an assistant general manager role and will look to steady the ship. They have likely known who they will be selecting for weeks now, and that surely will not change unless DeBartolo looks to make a huge stamp on his legacy as interim general manager.

If anything, I would estimate this only ensures that the Nationals take Anderson. With the riskiness associated with negotiating bonuses after drafting prep players, the Nationals likely want to add to their superstar young core with a surefire signing. And if they do select a high school prospect such as Holliday, the risk of them not signing only increases given the Nationals now are an organization with an unclear answer as to who is calling the shots for the next 5+ years.

So while there is certainly no counting out fireworks on draft night, this appears to ensure the Angels the chance to draft Holliday or their top college pitcher with the second overall pick.

More LA Angels News from Halo Hangout