-1745819772711.png){kind=logo}
As the vast majority of the Nationals’ front office and coaching staffs were overhauled this fall and winter, one corner of the organization remained intact.
The club’s international scouting department is still under previous management, namely Victor Rodriguez, who was hired in 2023 and for the last two years has been director international operations. Rodriguez was hired by Mike Rizzo, but he continues to serve in the same role under Paul Toboni.
What helped his cause? The fact his first job was with the Red Sox, who employed both Toboni and Justin Horowitz. And the fact his next job was with the Rays, who employed Anirudh Kilambi. Those three men now hold some of the top titles in the Nats front office, with Rodriguez a welcome face running one of baseball operations’ most important departments.
“It’s always good to come and see somebody that you’ve worked with in the past, because that learning curve and that trust gets expedited a little bit better,” Rodriguez said. “It’s really exciting for me to be able to work alongside all these guys again.”
Rodriguez spoke with reporters Thursday, when Major League Baseball’s international signing period officially opened. The Nationals added 15 new players from three Latin American countries, a group headlined by two highly ranked Dominican outfielders: Samil Serrano and Isaias Suarez.
Serrano, 17, was deemed the 16th best prospect in this year’s international class by Baseball America (26th by MLB Pipeline). The 6-foot-3, left-handed hitter and fielder has a smooth swing with gap-to-gap power, not to mention the defensive skills to play center field. The Nats awarded him with a $1.9 million signing bonus, per a source familiar with the terms.
“As we evolved in the evaluations process, we got to see that that sweet swing plays in the game,” Rodriguez said. “And looking at the body type and how much room he has to grow into some significant mass, we firmly believe that this guy has the opportunity to hit and grow into some power as well.”
Suarez, also 17, was rated 18th in Baseball America and 39th by MLB Pipeline. A right-handed hitter and thrower, the 6-foot-2 teenager is viewed as a better defensive center fielder and elite baserunner who is still developing at the plate. He also received a $1.9 million bonus, per a source.
“This guy is very similar to Samil, except in the fact that this guy is significantly more twitchy, more of a runner,” Rodriguez said. “We believe in the attributes, that there’s a ton of upside here.”
The Nationals signed eight Dominican players in total, with Serrano and Suarez joined by fellow outfielders Angel Ramirez ($1 million bonus), Juan Duran and Jawel Garcia, plus infielders Euris Acosta and Rayniel Lache and catcher Carlos Mueses. They signed six players from Venezuela: right-handers Santiago Moreno, Christopher Navas, Josue Rondon and Aldemaro Sevilla, plus catchers Pedro Guerra and Luis Tarifa. Panamanian outfielder Brad Rodriguez rounds out the class, which altogether split up the club’s $6,679,200 total allotted bonus pool.
Rodriguez’s team had been scouting most of those players for several years, long before Toboni and his new front office were hired. But in his discussions with his new bosses, Rodriguez found they had similar feelings about the types of players he was pursuing and agreed with his ultimate selections.
“It seemed like for the most part we were on the same page,” Rodriguez said. “And they provided whatever resources we needed in the little bit of time we had left before this deadline. It’s been very positive. And more along the fact that there has been a previous relationship with these guys on a personal level, which is very exciting. They kind of knew how I worked. So the support’s been great, and it’s going to be real exciting to see what we do next year.”
