Red Sox Set Back In GM Search Due To Paul Toboni's Nationals Move

Front office continuity is hard to find

Jul 11, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a Washington Nationals cap in the dugout during batting practice prior to the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

A seemingly simple choice for the Boston Red Sox is suddenly up in the air.

On Wednesday, it was announced that current Red Sox assistant general manager Paul Toboni will be leaving to take over the baseball operations department for the Washington Nationals. Toboni, a former Division I player at the University of California, has quickly risen to a top executive role at the young age of 35.

Any time a team loses one of its top baseball executives, there's bound to be some pain. But in this particular case, Boston lost Toboni at exactly the wrong time.

Paul Toboni was runaway favorite for Red Sox's GM role

Jul 21, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Red Sox batting helmets in the dugout against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Boston anticipates hiring a general manager this winter to work under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow -- essentially, Breslow's No. 2. And it appears that job was Toboni's if he wanted it.

MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported Wednesday that Toboni was widely considered to be the favorite for the GM role. The hiring process will now go on, and Cotillo reported that it is expected to be both an internal and external search.

"Breslow intends to hire a general manager (as his No. 2 executive) this offseason, and Toboni was considered a clear favorite to assume that title, which was last occupied by Brian O’Halloran under Chaim Bloom," wrote Cotillo.

"The chance to run his own team clearly appealed to Toboni, leaving the Red Sox down a key person in the present and a top GM candidate in a few weeks.Breslow is expected to look both inside and outside the organization for his No. 2."

The Red Sox also have several other assistant GMs in-house (Taylor Smith, Mike Groopman, Eddie Romero, and Raquel Ferreira), but it never hurts to survey all the options.

For now, the Red Sox can afford to wait on their search, because (fingers crossed) there's a playoff run waiting for them at the end of this weekend. But Toboni is a real loss, and it's now incumbent upon Breslow to choose a worthy right-hand person in his stead.

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