Stan Kasten Comments On His Resignation

Stan Kasten’s last day as the president of the Washington Nationals was today, though that doesn’t mean that his days being involved in the Nationals are completely finished as he told gathered media Wednesday that he’s still sort of involved.

Kasten described the nature of his exit as “kind of slow-motion,” and said that he would continue to hold his minority ownership stake in the Nationals “at least through the winter and into spring training for legal and tax reasons” which would preclude him being employed by another MLB team in that time.

Among the things that Kasten will continue to be involved in, according to Samuel Chamberlain of TBD, include the negotiation of a new radio deal for the team and the organization’s exploration of possible new spring training sites.

Stan Kasten is sure to have plenty of job opportunities once he departs from his role of Team President of the Washington Nationals after this season. Atlanta Braves Manager Bobby Cox thinks that the top position in the sport could be one of those opportunities.

Bud Selig is set to step down as the baseball Commissioner following the 2012 season, and according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, Cox thinks Kasten would make for a competent replacement.

"I've never talked to him about that, but I think it would" appeal to Kasten, Cox said. "He's qualified to do that job, absolutely. He's a lawyer. He knows the game. He loves baseball more than anything. He knows the inner-workings of it. He'd be a solid choice, in my opinion."

Stan Kasten is only 57-years old and has stated that his resignation from the Nationals organization is not a retirement. It could be a step towards something much bigger.

It's hard to know just how good the Nationals will be without Stan Kasten at the helm. They were never very good during his time here, but on the other hand, it might not bode well for an Organization's attempted re-build when they lose the man who laid the blueprint.

Adam Kilgore wonders how the Nationals will replace not only his performance, but his presence.

The Nationals are not sure what will happen without Kasten, how they'll replace his leadership, his energy, his experience and his -- yeah, pretty much everything. At this moment, the Nationals have a lot of good things going on on the field, despite their record. Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa up the middle alone is a reason for a season ticket holder to smile. Will they be able to finish it from here?

Kilgore also has quotes from Kasten on what he believes to be the state of the franchise moving forward.

"I think now is not the time for that global assessment," Kasten said. "But I will say briefly, I think we are poised to really take off. I think we have ownership that is ready to take the next step. We talk a lot about it privately, and I have a high level of confidence that's going to happen ...

"There's still plenty to do," he said. "I always think of the lifespan of building something in three phases. There's constructing, there's competing, there's contending. I really think we've come through the constructing. Now we're on the cusp of really competing. The line from constructing to competing is really long. It's a big difference and a big distance. The distance from competing to contending can be very short. A couple of key moves can make that change. I think that's where we are, on the cusp."

The Nationals have better pieces in place for the future than they had at any point in Kasten's tenure here. It must be hard for him to leave before those players come into their own and he can receive the credit he deserves for assembling them.They may look like a bad team on paper, but in a few years, they might make the next President look very smart.

Bill Ladson of MLB.com confirms that Nationals president Stan Kasten will resign his position effective at the end of the season. "The club will make an official announcement prior to Thursday's game against the Astros at Nationals Park," Ladson says. While that much is clear, plenty is still up in the air, as Ladson writes:

It was not known what Kasten will do after leaving the Nationals. There have been reports over the past few years that he would work for the Blue Jays or Major League Baseball, but he has denied those reports. Kasten was also a successful GM with the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA. It was also not known who will replace Kasten in Washington.

Last night, Thomas Boswell came out with an article saying that Nationals team president Stan Kasten has not made up his mind about his future with the team. Evidently, it took him less than 24 hours to do so. 

SI.com's Jon Heyman is reporting that Kasten has decided to resign from the team. Heyman is reporting he told members of the organization about his decision already. Kasten would not confirm the news when Heyman talked to him, but the writing appears to be on the wall.

Kasten leaving is a loss for the #nats. he wouldnt confirm on phone when reached him, saying, "lets talk later.''    

This is a huge blow for an organization looking for respectability. For more on Kasten's resignation, check out Chris Needham's column on the issue for SB Nation D.C. here.