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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.
