-1745819772711.png){kind=logo}
Wednesday night’s news that the Nationals are hiring Anirudh Kilambi as general manager surely caught a number of people by surprise. President of baseball operations Paul Toboni said as recently as last month he didn’t expect to add a GM to his front office yet, seemingly content with the organizational flow chart that had come together since his hiring in late-September.
But then came word of the hiring of Kilambi, a 31-year-old data guru who spent the last decade working for the Rays and Phillies and now gets his highest-profile job to date as one of the youngest GMs in major league history.
It might leave you a bit confused. Fortunately, we’re here to answer some of the questions you likely have right now. If nothing else, consider this a placeholder until we get a chance to interview both Toboni and Kilambi later this week …
Q: So, Anirudh Kilambi is actually Mike Rizzo’s replacement?
A: Only in title. And even then, it’s only in partial title. Though he typically was referred to as the Nats’ general manager, Rizzo officially was president of baseball operations and general manager. In short, he was the guy in charge of the entire front office, and he chose not to promote or hire someone to be the GM beneath him, preferring to employ several assistant GMs and several special assistants to the GM.
Q: So, what is Kilambi’s role compared to Toboni’s role?
A: Toboni is the guy in charge. He makes the final decision on free agent signings, trades, etc. Kilambi will serve as his right-hand man, with an emphasis on all matters related to analytics, data and technology. That’s his background with Tampa Bay and Philadelphia, and he was widely regarded throughout baseball as a top young mind in that area, especially the job he did helping to acquire and develop lesser-known pitchers into quality big leaguers during his seven years with the Rays.
Q: So, what happened to Mike DeBartolo?
A: He’s still here, and he’s still got a prominent role within the front office. After serving the final three months of the season as interim GM, DeBartolo was named senior vice president and assistant GM to Toboni. That role will carry some of the same responsibilities he had for years as Rizzo’s No. 2 guy, but not entirely. He’ll oversee the baseball operations department. He’ll probably be the point man for many of the transactions the club makes. And he’ll be one of several trusted voices helping Toboni make big decisions.
Q: Who are the other trusted voices in the front office?
A: Toboni’s two other major hires were Devin Pearson and Justin Horowitz, both named assistant GMs. Pearson, who came from the Red Sox, will oversee player development, which means he’s replacing Eddie Longosz in the farm director role. Horowitz, who most recently ran the Pirates’ scouting department but before that also worked for the Red Sox, will oversee acquisitions of all types (amateur scouting, international scouting, major league trades and free agents). Along with Kilambi and DeBartolo, those four will be Toboni’s top advisers, and the president of baseball operations has said he wants this to be a collaborative effort in which everyone has input on decisions.
Q: Are every one of these guys under 40?
A: Almost, but not quite. DeBartolo is the “senior citizen” of the group at the ripe old age of 41. Toboni is 35, Horowitz is 34 and Kilambi and Pearson are both 31. It’s an extremely young front office, but all have been working for MLB clubs for a decade-plus, so they do have a good amount of experience.
Q: Are the Nats trying to model themselves after the Red Sox or the Rays?
A: Yes. There appear to be elements of both AL East franchises in the new-look Nationals. Toboni obviously has hired several people he used to work with in Boston, not to mention acquiring Red Sox right-hander Luis Perales this week for fellow pitching prospect Jake Bennett. And the structure of the front office he’s creating seems to mirror the Red Sox’s org chart in many ways. But there’s also a lot of Tampa Bay influence now, between manager Blake Butera and Kilambi, plus several members of the coaching staff who have been hired. The Red Sox are known as a big-market club that thinks big. The Rays are known as a small-market club that has long been at the forefront of technology and maximizing resources. In a perfect world, the Nats would combine elements of both to become – as Toboni has called it – “the envy of all sports.” It’s a lofty goal. We’ll see if he can make it happen.
