Nationals’ new president looks to build ‘monster’ in District

Paul Toboni watched the Nationals from afar as he rose through the ranks of the Boston Red Sox front office. On Wednesday, he took over as Washington’s president of baseball operations and promised to build a “monster.”

Toboni joins a Nationals organization that has been mired in a yearslong rebuild since winning the World Series in 2019. Taking over for former general manager Mike Rizzo, who was fired in July, is a tall task for the 35-year-old. 

“It’s a responsibility that I don’t take lightly,” Toboni said at Wednesday’s introductory press conference at Nationals Park. “It’s my goal to make you all proud of what we build here.”

That’s easier said than done. The Nationals have a vacancy at manager after finishing with a 66-96 record this season. It marked their sixth straight losing season while franchise icons like Juan Soto and Max Scherzer were traded away instead of rewarded with hefty new contracts. 

There is a path back to contention, Toboni said, noting that he won’t settle for moral victories.

“I talk about making the scoreboard visible and thriving in that environment. We want there to be winners and losers,” he said, then sprinkling in a basketball reference. “I can’t imagine playing one-on-one and not keeping the score.”

The process begins with a revamped front office. The ownership group lauded Toboni’s experience in Boston, where he evolved from a scouting expert to the man responsible for modernizing the draft process. 

“He is truly impressive, and we are excited about the fresh voice he brings to our organization,” Mark Lerner, the Nationals’ managing principal owner, said Wednesday. “All of us here are so excited to work with Paul and support the vision he has for the Nats. We’re confident that he is the person that we need to build a winning culture here in D.C.”

The experience with the Red Sox is shaping the initial path with the Nationals. 

“One of the simplest ways [to compete] is to build a scouting and player development monster. That means integrating analytics and [research and development] really tightly,” Toboni said. 

The next steps are up in the air. In his first week on the job, Washington’s new front office boss is still trying to remember names, from the scouts to the minor league coaches to the parking attendants at Nationals Park. 

The exact setup for the front office is unclear. Toboni said he isn’t sure if he’ll add a general manager to handle day-to-day call-ups and contract negotiations. 

He will have to hire a manager, though. 

Interim manager Miguel Cairo and interim general manager Mike DeBartolo could be in the running to become permanent, but no decisions have been made. 

“I want to sit with Miguel and learn him as a person,” Toboni said, remaining intentionally vague about his managerial plans. “More than anything, I want him to understand my vision for the role before sharing it with everyone.”

Toboni will likely handle Washington’s trade and free-agent strategy this offseason, an area that has drawn harsh criticism from fans in recent years. 

Their ire was not directed at Rizzo, though, as the Nationals failed to make a splash in free agency or retain promising young players. The concern lies with the ownership group, led by Lerner. 

Toboni won’t be able to spend unless the owners open the checkbook. Both Toboni and Lerner said “assurances” were exchanged during the interview process. 

The president of baseball operations repeated that sentiment throughout his first appearances on local TV and radio. 

“I’m in this seat right now for a reason,” he said. “Throughout the interview process and after accepting the job, I felt incredibly supported. That’s the main thing. That will allow us to build a world-class organization.”

He said that turning the District into a free-agent destination starts with in-house development. He noted that the young core — featuring players like slugger James Wood and pitcher MacKenzie Gore — is promising and needs a cohesive coaching staff.  

“Once players start to see that ‘wow, this coach is really getting me better, and I’m getting the feedback that I’m getting better,’ it just creates this cascading [effect],” Toboni said. “The more we can do that over and over and over again, I think the word will get out around the league amongst the players — the Washington Nationals is the place where I want to be.”

Don’t call it a comeback in front of Lerner. 

“I don’t believe that we’ve gone backwards. … There’s more we need to do, obviously, and we’re not happy where we are right now. That’s why we brought in Paul, and we’re going to get back to where we were supposed to be,” he said. “That’s the commitment that we’re making to our fans. Don’t give up. We’re going to be there again, guaranteed.”