Paul Toboni's Comments About Connelly Early Should Excite Nationals Fans
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Connelly Early wasted little time getting to work with the Washington Nationals.
After he was acquired in a late-night trade that took place on July 25, the 24-year-old left-hander has already thrown a bullpen session for his new team as he continues to work his way back from elbow inflammation that currently has him on the 15-day injured list. Getting Early back will be important for the Nationals. Not only is he a long-term piece of the puzzle, but he can also help them push for the postseason this year, as is evident by his career 3.24 ERA across 21 big league starts.
Washington fans should already be eager to see the high-upside youngster debut for the team. But based on the comments made by president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, they should now be ecstatic that they landed him from the Boston Red Sox.
Paul Toboni Raves About Connelly Early
"You all will see it soon, but he's just a stud. A stud," Toboni said, per Jessica Camerato of MLB.com. "A competitor. Incredibly composed out there. Brings great energy to the clubhouse. He's one of my favorites that I've been around. An awesome get for us, obviously the talent, but also from a clubhouse perspective, he couldn't be better."
If anyone were to know what type of player and person the Nationals are getting, it would be Toboni. After all, he was the vice president of amateur scouting and player development for the Red Sox back in 2023 when they selected Early in the fifth round of that draft. And then, after Toboni was promoted to assistant general manager later that same year, he oversaw the quick rise of Early through Boston's farm system until the former top prospect made his major league debut in 2025.
Hearing that type of glowing praise from Toboni is notable. Not only does it seem like Washington landed a high-end starting pitcher who will be able to help them on the field, but it sounds like they also added someone who can help build the fresh franchise culture that this regime is trying to install.
But that's all something for a later date. In the meantime, Early will continue to push for his return from the elbow inflammation he's dealing with. If everything goes smoothly, then he'll be back in August. Exactly when that will be isn't clear, but he's expected to begin his rehab assignment on Aug. 3, which should give him around a month-and-a-half to help the Nationals push for a wild card spot.
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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