Source: Nats tap Red Sox exec to lead operations

"The Washington Nationals are finalizing a deal to name Paul Toboni their new head of baseball operations, sources told ESPN, tabbing the Boston Red Sox assistant general manager to turn around a team barreling toward its fifth last-place finish in six seasons. The 35-year-old Toboni is widely regarded as one of the best young executives in baseball after rising from intern to key decision-maker in Boston's front office."

"While Toboni's background is in scouting -- he moved from intern to area scout, then ascended to assistant scouting director and scouting director -- he took on a larger portfolio as vice president of scouting and player development before being named assistant GM for Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. The Nationals fired GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez in July, six years after their surprise run to a World Series title."

"Toboni, who played collegiate ball at Cal, will inherit a team that at 64-94 is struggling to keep pace in a competitive National League East division that features financial leviathans in Philadelphia and New York as well as a solid Atlanta Braves core and an ascendant Miami Marlins team. The Nationals have a handful of talented young players -- chief among them outfielder James Wood, shortstop CJ Abrams and left-hander MacKenzie Gore -- but the team's middling farm system doesn't foretell a quick turnaround."

Paul Toboni, 35, is being named head of baseball operations for the Washington Nationals after rising from intern to assistant general manager with the Boston Red Sox. Toboni's background centers on scouting and player development, having moved from area scout to scouting director and later vice president of scouting and player development before becoming assistant GM. The Nationals fired GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez and currently sit 64-94 amid a strong National League East. The roster includes prospects James Wood, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore, but the overall farm system is middling and limits a rapid turnaround. Boston's farm improvement under Toboni included key draft selections.

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