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12m ago

Nationals Finalizing Deal to Hire Red Sox Executive Paul Toboni to Lead Baseball Operations

The 35-year-old scouting-and-development expert arrives from Boston with a reputation for aggressive drafting.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 27:Assistant General Manager Paul Toboni of the Boston Red Sox, Director of Player Development Brian Abraham, and Alex Cora #13 of the Boston Red Sox look on during the Minor League Awards Pre-Game Ceremony before a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox on September 27, 2024 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
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Boston Red Sox first-round draft pick Mikey Romero poses for a photo with Director of Amateur Scouting Paul Toboni after signing a contract with the club on July 25, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
Sep 29, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Carter Kieboom (8) throws a runner out at first against the Atlanta Braves in the fifth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Overview

  • ESPN first reported that Washington is finalizing a deal with Boston assistant GM Paul Toboni to become the Nationals’ head of baseball operations, and multiple outlets corroborated the move as the team has not announced it.
  • Rising from a 2015 Red Sox internship to assistant GM, Toboni ran Boston’s amateur scouting from 2019 to 2022, overseeing drafts that added Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell.
  • The Nationals dismissed longtime GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez in July, and assistant GM Mike DeBartolo has led the department on an interim basis.
  • The club’s leadership structure remains unresolved, including whether Toboni will carry the GM title and what role DeBartolo will have going forward.
  • Toboni takes over a struggling roster trending toward a fifth last-place finish in six seasons and a middling farm system, though young core pieces include James Wood, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore.