Nationals hire Red Sox AGM Paul Toboni to lead front office as Washington looks to finish rebuild, per report

Toboni inherits a team with a strong core and little success to show for it

The Washington Nationals are finalizing a deal with Boston Red Sox assistant GM Paul Toboni to become their new top baseball operations executive, reports ESPN. The team has not yet announced the hire. The Nationals fired longtime GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez in July.

Toboni, 35, started with the Red Sox are an intern in 2015 and gradually rose through the ranks. He ran Boston's amateur scouting department from 2019-22, during which the Red Sox drafted players including Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell, before being elevated to assistant GM in 2023. Toboni spent time with the Athletics prior to joining the Red Sox, so he's worked in two of the most analytically inclined front offices in the game.

"Ultra-aggressive with his ideas," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said about Toboni recently (via MassLive.com). "He's a soundboard to a lot of people in the front office."

The Nationals won a World Series under Rizzo in 2019, though only the Colorado Rockies have more losses since then, and Washington has long been considered behind the times analytically. Priority No. 1 for Toboni figures to be getting the Nationals up to speed in all facets -- player development, major league acquisitions, etc.

Despite their 64-94 record, the Nationals do have promising young talent. Shortstop CJ Abrams, outfielders Dylan Crews and James Wood, and lefty MacKenzie Gore are all long-term building blocks with multiple years of control. Washington also selected shortstop Eli Willits with the No. 1 pick in July's draft.

Assistant GM Mike DeBartolo has served as the interim head of baseball operations following Rizzo's dismissal.