Longtime international scouting director DiPuglia resigns

Johnny DiPuglia, the Nationals’ longtime head of international scouting, has resigned after nearly 15 years with the organization, creating an opening for a prominent position within the front office as its longtime general manager continues to negotiate his own extension.

DiPuglia confirmed his resignation but did not offer details of the move, which was first reported by the Washington Post.

Initially hired in 2009, DiPuglia was tasked with overhauling a Latin American scouting and development operation that was in disarray following a scandal involving the falsifying of supposed top prospect Esmailyn Gonzalez’s name, age and playing ability. That scandal wound up costing both former GM Jim Bowden and special assistant Jose Rijo their jobs, with Mike Rizzo ascending to the GM position and hiring DiPuglia away from the Red Sox, where he served as Latin American scouting director.

Over the ensuing decade-plus, DiPuglia, 60, was rewarded with several promotions, most recently named vice president and assistant GM for international operations in November 2019. One month later, he was honored at baseball’s Winter Meetings with the Professional Scouts International Scout of the Year Award.

Under DiPuglia’s watch, the Nationals both spent considerable money on Latin American prospects and watched several of them become major leaguers, with Juan Soto headlining a group that also includes Victor Robles, Luis García, Joan Adon, Jose A. Ferrer, Wander Suero, Reynaldo López, Wilmer Difo, Jefry Rodriguez and Israel Pineda.

Current prospects in the Nationals’ farm system signed by DiPuglia include Jeremy De La Rosa, Cristhian Vaquero, Andry Lara, Armando Cruz and Yasel Antuna. Though several of those players who received seven-figure signing bonuses may still reach the big leagues, several have struggled to realize their full potential.

DiPuglia has long been one of Rizzo’s closest confidants in a front office loaded with experienced scouts and baseball minds. His departure comes as the GM is still negotiating with ownership about a new deal before his current contract expires in October.

* Though his next turn in the rotation comes Tuesday, MacKenzie Gore may not make that start.

Gore, who is currently on bereavement leave, may not rejoin the Nationals in time for that outing against the Mets, according to manager Davey Martinez, who said Patrick Corbin is prepared to make the start on five days’ rest if needed.

“That’s still a question mark,” Martinez said. “At this point, I would more tend to push him back to later in the week. We’ve already talked to Corbin. If we have to, he’ll start that day. I’ll definitely have more sense of it tomorrow.”

Martinez said the reason for Gore potentially not making the start would be related to his bereavement leave. The Nationals, though, have been planning to find ways to limit his workload over the final month of his first full season in the majors anyway.

Gore is currently at 132 1/3 innings, far exceeding the 87 innings he totaled last year in both the majors and minors while also missing considerable time with an elbow injury. His career high as a professional is 101 innings in 2019 while in the Padres organization.