Nationals Pluck Notable Front Office Member Away From Astros
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The Washington Nationals are getting set for a huge offseason.
After using the 2026 campaign as an evaluation period for members throughout the entire organization, the Nationals already have a plan in place for how they want to improve things this winter. Per previous reports, they are aiming to expand their analytics department. That leans further into the mentality that president of baseball operations Paul Toboni and other front office members want to have in the nation's capital.
Now, Toboni is set to make his biggest hire since last winter. And it features an aim to improve their farm system even further.
Nationals Hire Brian Rodgers Away From Astros
According to The Athletic (subscription required), Washington is hiring Brian Rodgers away from the Houston Astros. The hire is not official yet, but the Nationals are planning to introduce Rodgers soon as their new international scouting director, which is the same position he currently holds with the Astros.
This hire is another signal that Washington wants to build the best farm system they possibly can. Signing international free agents who become impact players are a huge boon for any pipeline and organization, which is something the Nationals have been lacking recently.
As noted by The Athletic, Washington landed the likes of Juan Soto, Luis Garcia Jr., Victor Robles and Jose A. Ferrer from 2013-17 via international signings. But since then, they haven't stuck gold, which has hurt both their major league roster and the depth of their farm system.
Toboni has repeatedly stated that his goal is to have the envy of baseball when it comes to the talent pipeline the Nationals have in place. And by addressing a clear weakness -- international scouting -- he is covering all his bases after previously boosting the franchise's developmental and domestic scouting departments.
The hope is Rodgers will help lead an overhaul on the international side of things. The Astros have had tons of success in that market, and their current No. 1 overall prospect -- outfielder Kevin Alvarez -- was signed out of the Dominican Republic in the 2025 cycle. In fact, five of Houston's top 30 prospects -- Alvarez (No. 1), infielder Albert Fermin (No. 4), right-handed pitcher Juan Fraide (No. 20), catcher Luis De Leon (No. 25) and outfielder Anthony Millan (No. 26) -- were signed after Rodgers took over as the international scouting director for the Astros in the fall of 2022.
That bodes well for what the Nationals are hoping to accomplish, and this hire is yet another statement being made by Toboni when it comes to how he wants to reshape this franchise.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai