After announcing a new partnership with Major League Baseball for production and distribution of games in the 2026 season, the Washington Nationals today announced the lineup of broadcasters for the inaugural season of Nationals.TV, which will feature Dan Kolko as the Nationals’ play-by-play broadcaster sitting alongside analyst Kevin Frandsen and joined by host and reporter Alexa Datt. Led by this exciting trio, local Washington Nationals games will now be available to in-market fans on cable and satellite television as well as through the MLB direct-to-consumer streaming platform. For more information and to receive email alerts when additional details and subscriptions are available, visit Nationals.TV.

“I’m excited about the lineup of television broadcasters coming to Nationals.TV this season,” said Managing Principal Owner Mark D. Lerner. “It’s been a privilege to watch Dan Kolko grow throughout his time covering the organization, and I’m so proud of the work he’s put in to earn this position. I know he and Kevin will continue to have a great rapport in the booth, entertaining and educating our viewers, and I know our fans are going to love having Alexa in the mix as a host and reporter. We’re incredibly happy to welcome her back home.”

Kolko’s first season calling play-by-play will also mark his 13^th season as part of the Nationals’ television broadcast team and 15^th overall covering the Club. Kolko previously worked a hybrid role hosting the “Nats Xtra” pre- and postgame shows, serving as an on-field reporter and providing fill-in play-by-play and analysis. He hosted Nats Xtra alongside analyst Bo Porter, where the two covered the Nationals’ World Series Championship season in 2019. Kolko served as on-field reporter on television game broadcasts from 2014-18, and as the team’s MASNsports.com beat writer from 2012-14. Kolko has also worked as an MLB Network Radio host and MLB Network contributor, and he also calls college basketball play-by-play for FOX Sports. Kolko’s early experience working in television commercials began when he served as the “host” in Toyota’s 2013 regional commercial spots featuring Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg. Kolko also covered the Baltimore Ravens for MASN from 2008-11, writing for the network’s website and providing on-air analysis for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Report. Prior to joining MASN, Kolko worked with Comcast SportsNet in a production role. A native of Silver Spring, Md., Kolko earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Delaware.

Kevin Frandsen, a member of Washington’s 2014 National League East Division championship team, will return for his fifth season as the analyst for the Nationals. Frandsen played nine Major League seasons with the San Francisco Giants (2006-09, 2015), Los Angeles Angels (2010), Philadelphia Phillies (2012-13) and Washington Nationals (2014). A versatile defender and utility player, he saw action at second base, third base, first base, outfield, shortstop and designated hitter during his Major League career. Frandsen joined MASN and the Nationals in 2022 after four seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies radio broadcast team. Since 2019, Frandsen has also hosted shows on MLB Network Radio, and from 2016 to 2019, worked on AM radio in the San Francisco Bay area. He co-hosted “KNBR Tonight” on KNBR 680 AM and, prior to that, spent one year as co-host for KNBR 1050 AM’s morning drive show, “The Audible.” Frandsen is a native of San Jose, Calif. and was selected in the 12th round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft out of San Jose State University where he set the program’s all-time record for career hits (246).

A Derwood, Md., native, veteran sports broadcaster Alexa Datt will return to the Washington, D.C., area for her first season with the Nationals. Datt most recently served as a host for FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, where she covered the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues. While in St. Louis, Datt spent one season calling play-by-play for the Saint Louis University men’s baseball team, and she made history in early 2025 as the first female broadcaster to call play-by-play for the Cardinals during Spring Training. Datt spent time with MLB Network and NHL Network where she hosted several programs, including “The Rundown,” “Quick Pitch,” “The Cycle,” and “On The Fly.” She also led the MLB.com daily show “12:25 Live with Alexa” as well as “The Morning Run” for Chicago-based digital sports network 120 Sports. Datt’s career has also included internships at “America’s Most Wanted” and Comcast SportsNet in Bethesda, Md. She worked as an associate producer and on-air personality at SportsNet New York, served as the in-stadium host and reporter for the New York Mets, and worked as a sideline reporter for SNY’s coverage of Atlantic-10 college basketball. Datt co-hosted “Datt’s What She Said with Dani,” a podcast that interviewed baseball’s biggest stars and discussed amusing and heartwarming stories from on and off the diamond. An alumnus of the University of Maryland and Magruder High School, Datt will make her debut during Spring Training coverage. The Spring Training broadcast schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Nationals claimed shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from the Mets on Wednesday, adding another infielder to an organization that continues to make transactions on the fringes of the roster while avoiding more significant moves this offseason.

Cheng’s acquisition prompted the club to designate Konnor Pilkington for assignment, dropping the left-hander who became a prominent member of the bullpen last summer from the 40-man roster.

The 24-year-old Cheng, who stands only 5-foot-8, was signed by the Pirates out of his native Taiwan in 2019 at 17. He slowly climbed the organizational ladder, playing 107 games at Triple-A Indianapolis last season. He also made his major league debut in April, appearing in three games and going 0-for-7 with three strikeouts.

Pittsburgh designated Cheng for assignment last month, and he was claimed off waivers by the Rays on Jan. 7. Tampa Bay also designated him for assignment only five days later, with the Mets then claiming him Jan. 16, only to designate him for assignment five days after that.

Cheng can only hope he sticks with the Nationals longer. A versatile infielder who primarily plays shortstop but has also seen action at second and third base, he owns a career .251/.350/.385 slash line with 88 doubles, 21 triples, 35 homers and 112 stolen bases in 507 professional games across five seasons.

The Washington Nationals claimed shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from the New York Mets and designated left-handed pitcher Konnor Pilkington for assignment on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni made the announcement.

Cheng, 24, spent five professional seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates system after signing with them on July 2, 2019. He hit .251 with a .350 on-base percentage and a .385 slugging percentage and recorded 88 doubles, 21 triples, 35 home runs, 230 RBI, 112 stolen bases and 296 runs scored in 507 career Minor League games in the Pirates organization. He made his Major League debut in 2025, appearing in three games during the month of April. Cheng was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays on Jan. 7 and by the New York Mets on Jan. 16.

A native of Pingtung County, Taiwan, Cheng was considered the “Best Defensive Infielder” and had the “Best Strike Zone Discipline” in Pittsburgh’s system entering the 2025 season, according to Baseball America. He hit .207 with 12 doubles, three triples, one homer, 36 RBI, 48 walks, 20 stolen bases and 36 runs scored in 110 games between Triple-A Indianapolis and Single-A Bradenton last season.

Washington’s 40-man roster is now at 40 players.

Would you believe Nationals pitchers and catchers will be on the field in West Palm Beach for their first official workout of the spring exactly two weeks from now?

Yep, while you can be excused for being focused on more pressing matters (like yelling at snow plow drivers for creating a wall of ice between the street and the driveway you spent hours shoveling) right now, rest assured baseball season is right around the corner.

And though the general feeling around the Nationals at this moment may not be as positive as many would have hoped, this still promises to be one of the more significant springs in club history. There’s an entirely new front office calling the shots. There’s an entirely new coaching staff leading the daily drills. And there are more new faces on the field than you probably realize. (12 players currently on the 40-man roster were not there at season’s end.)

So maybe it’s time to start turning our attention forward and consider some of the most pressing questions the 2026 Nats are going to face when they gather in the warm Florida sun in two weeks …

* HOW DIFFERENT IS CAMP GOING TO BE?
Davey Martinez ran each of the last eight spring trainings. Mike Rizzo was in charge of roster construction each of the last 16 springs. Both are gone, which would lead you to believe things are going to look very different this year.

Several of the Nationals’ top prospects have been given an invitation to participate in major league camp this spring, including infielder Seaver King and pitchers Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana.

The Nats announced non-roster invitations to 10 players from within the organization, giving them an opportunity to work alongside those already on the 40-man roster.

King is perhaps the most notable name on the list, considering the 22-year-old has only one full season of professional experience at this point. Selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 Draft, he played in 20 games for low Single-A Fredericksburg that summer, then returned last season to play 45 games at high Single-A Wilmington and 80 at Double-A Harrisburg.

King struggled at times at the plate during the season, slashing just .244/.294/.337, but he enjoyed a highly productive turn in the Arizona Fall League, slashing a robust .359/.468/.563 in 18 games, scoring 21 runs while driving in 24 and stealing six bases.

The versatile infielder was known for playing all around the field at Wake Forest, but the Nationals so far have kept him exclusively at shortstop, believing they can move him to another position down the road if needed.

As the dust settled from last week’s trade of MacKenzie Gore, with plenty of thoughts coming to the forefront about the five prospects the Nationals got from the Rangers and what this all means about the new front office’s short-term and long-term intentions, another question eventually came to mind: Who exactly is going to fill out the Nats’ 2026 rotation at this point?

It’s a question, quite honestly, that doesn’t come with a very reassuring answer.

Even with Gore, the Nationals’ projected rotation looked thin on sure things. Now, it’s even thinner.

If he had to pick five starters right now to open the season, new manager Blake Butera probably would choose (in no particular order) Cade Cavalli, Brad Lord, Jake Irvin, Foster Griffin and (if healthy and ready to go) Josiah Gray. The options beyond that include Mitchell Parker, Andrew Alvarez and maybe Rule 5 Draft pick Griff McGarry (who you’d think is more likely to open the year as a long reliever). Then there are DJ Herz and Trevor Williams, each still recovering from elbow surgery but perhaps ready to go sometime around May.

Is that what the Nationals rotation will actually look like come late-March? Maybe, though again it would feature a lot more questions than answers.

Oh, how things can change in 3 ½ years. Heck, how things can change in 11 months.

Thursday’s trade of MacKenzie Gore to the Rangers for five prospects not only marked the end of the Nationals’ previous rebuild, but also the beginning of the next one.

As hard as it may be for fans to hear after four years of rebuilding, new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni admitted as much when he spoke to the media over a Zoom call Thursday night to discuss the deal that has now put the Nats even further away from contention.

“I think we’ve got to be honest with ourselves,” Toboni said. “The truth is – and I don’t think this is a mystery to the fan base, the media or anyone – we lost 96 games last year. To turn it around in one year and make the playoffs ... not to say it can’t be done, but it’s a challenge. What we want to do is make sure we build this really strong foundation, so when we do start to push chips in, we can win for an extended period of time. That fits with that strategy for us.”

That’s a harsh reality from the new man in charge, and a direct contrast from what fans heard the previous regime say ahead of last season.

The news got buried in the aftermath of the MacKenzie Gore trade, but the Nationals also made another waiver claim Thursday and in a corresponding move designated Riley Adams for assignment.

The Nats claimed reliever Gus Varland from the Diamondbacks, bringing aboard a 29-year-old right-hander with a 4.82 ERA in 42 career major league games with the Brewers, Dodgers and White Sox. All of those appearances came from 2023-24; Varland spent the majority of the 2025 season on the injured list recovering from a lat strain, able to pitch in only eight minor league games.

Needing to clear a 40-man roster spot for Varland, the Nationals designated Adams, a move that traditionally leads to a departure from the organization but likely won’t in this particular case because of a quirk of the catcher’s contract.

Adams, who has played 251 games for the Nats since his July 2021 acquisition from the Blue Jays for closer Brad Hand, agreed last month to a split contract that guaranteed him $1 million if he was on the major league roster and $500,000 if he accepted an outright assignment to the minors.

We’re seeing now why the Nationals made that offer, and why Adams agreed to it. With Harry Ford expected to join Keibert Ruiz behind the plate, Adams was probably going to be the odd man out. And because he’s out of options, he couldn’t have been sent to Triple-A without first clearing waivers.

On the day he traded Juan Soto, Mike Rizzo acknowledged the raw emotions everyone was feeling at the time but insisted it ultimately would leave the Nationals in a better position to win long-term.

“I think it accelerates the process,” the former general manager said. “I think that you lose a generational talent like that, but you put in five key elements of your future championship roster.”

Not even 3 1/2 years later, the man who replaced Rizzo running baseball operations tried to explain how trading away one of those “key elements of your future championship roster” for five more prospects – long before this franchise has come anywhere close to winning again – will put the Nats in a better position to win long-term, a message that is increasingly difficult for a weary fanbase to accept.

“I hear it, and I empathize with it,” Paul Toboni said Thursday night after trading MacKenzie Gore to the Rangers. “There would be part of me – I think back to my 15-year-old self; I was a Giants fan at the time – bummed to see a player of this caliber leaving, and a leader on the team and that sort of thing.

“But I would paint a much more optimistic picture. I think the excitement that comes with these players we’re getting in return exceeds the disappointment of seeing MacKenzie go. That’s just me talking as the head of baseball operations now. I’m really excited about the package we’ve gotten in return. And I hope fans see it in the same way.”

The Washington Nationals acquired shortstop Gavin Fien, right-handed pitcher Alejandro Rosario, shortstop Devin Fitz-Gerald, outfielder Yeremy Cabrera and first baseman Abimelec Ortiz in exchange for left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore on Thursday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni made the announcement.

Fien, 18, was the 12^th overall selection by the Rangers in the first round of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft out of Great Oak High School in Temecula, Calif. Texas' No. 2 prospect per Baseball America and No. 3 per MLBPipeline.com, he hit .220 with three doubles, a triple, seven RBI, a stolen base, three walks and four runs scored in 10 games for Single-A Hickory in his first taste of professional baseball in 2025.

Fien (pronounced ‘FEEN’) hit .358 with six doubles, one triple, five home runs, 16 RBI, eight stolen bases, 24 runs scored and more walks (11) than strikeouts (9) in 30 games as a high school senior in 2025. In four varsity seasons, he slashed .378/.451/.633/1.084 with four triples, 29 doubles, and 65 RBI in 91 games

A member of the U18 USA National Team, Fien slashed .400/.429/.680 with 11 RBI during the 2024 World Cup qualifier in Panama and helped the Americans win the gold medal. He was also named the Most Valuable Player of the 2024 MLB High School All-Star Game in San Diego where he shared the field with new teammates Eli Willits, Landon Harmon and Miguel Sime Jr.

Rosario, 23, was Texas’ No. 13 prospect, per Baseball America and No. 6 per MLBPipeline.com. In his only professional season in 2024, he struck out 129 in 88.1 innings, while issuing just 13 walks between Single-A Down East and High-A Hickory. For his efforts, he vaulted himself onto Baseball America's Top 100 prospect list, landing at No. 49 before the 2025 season.  Rosario was selected in the fifth-round pick out of the University of Miami in 2023.

The Nationals have agreed to trade left-hander MacKenzie Gore to the Rangers for a package of five prospects, including Texas’ first-round pick from last summer’s draft, in Paul Toboni’s first blockbuster deal since becoming the club’s president of baseball operations.

The trade, which was officially announced late this afternoon, sends Gore to Texas with two years of club control remaining and makes the 26-year-old burgeoning ace the first player acquired in the Juan Soto megadeal of 2022 to be dealt away.

As was the case in the Soto deal, the Nats receive five prospects in return for Gore, though this package does not include as many highly rated players.

The return from the Rangers features shortstop Gavin Fien (a 2025 first round pick), right-hander Alejandro Rosario (formerly a top-50 prospect who is expected to miss the entire 2026 season following Tommy John surgery), infielder Devin Fitz-Gerald (drafted in 2024 out of high school), outfielder Yeremy Cabrera (20-year-old signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2022) and first baseman Abimelec Ortiz (23-year-old who posted a .953 OPS in 41 games at Triple-A last season).

Those five players’ most recent rankings among the Rangers’ top prospects, per MLB Pipeline: Fien (No. 2), Rosario (No. 6), Fitz-Gerald (No. 12), Cabrera (No. 16) and Ortiz (No. 18). None made Pipeline’s overall Top-100 list, though that organization has yet to update its rankings for 2026.

As spring training creeps closer – only 19 days until pitchers and catchers report! – we’re starting to see the unveiling of various preseason top prospect rankings from the major outlets who compile such things. And the Nationals’ No. 1 pick from last summer’s draft is all over those rankings.

Eli Willits debuts as the 31st best prospect in the sport, according to Baseball America, which released its 2026 Top 100 list Wednesday. That may sound a bit low for the first player selected in the draft, but keep in mind he just turned 18 and has played only 15 games to date as a professional.

Willits, the dynamic all-around shortstop from Oklahoma, “has a chance for five average or better tools and should be the Nationals’ shortstop of the future,” per Baseball America’s blurb. Consider that a major compliment, touting his lack of weaknesses in all aspects of the game. And if that 15-game debut for Single-A Fredericksburg – a .300 batting average, .397 on-base percentage and .757 OPS – offered a glimpse of things to come, Willits should live up to the billing.

Eleven of the 30 prospects ranked above Willits are also shortstops, which is by far the most loaded position in the minor leagues at the moment. Consider MLB Pipeline’s recent exercise ranking the top 10 shortstop prospects: Willits is eighth on that list, even though he ended the 2025 season as the No. 15 overall prospect in baseball per that outlet.

It’s notable that Willits outranks fellow Oklahoma shortstop and fellow 2025 first rounder Ethan Holliday, who ranks 10th on that MLB Pipeline top shortstops list and 80th overall in the sport on Baseball America’s list.

The Nationals made another under-the-radar roster move Tuesday, claiming utilityman Mickey Gasper off waivers from the Twins. It’s the kind of move that doesn’t garner major headlines, and fan reactions tend to lean more sarcastic than serious.

But it’s the kind of move we should maybe start expecting more regularly from the Nats’ new front office, which seems to be scouring every possible alternative to the traditional free agent market in search of players who can fill out rosters not only at the big league level but the minors as well.

Gasper isn’t close to a high-profile acquisition. He’s 30 years old, he’s taken only 133 MLB plate appearances and he’s produced a measly .445 OPS in the process. He’s a catcher who also plays first base, second base and the outfield. Yeah, he’s not your conventional ballplayer.

What Gasper has done is produce a stout .303/.406/.512 slash line in 490 plate appearances the last three seasons with the Triple-A affiliates of the Yankees, Red Sox and Twins. He appears to own the International League.

And given his ability to play just about anywhere on the field – he’s even pitched three times in the minors – he’s the kind of player who probably won’t have much impact on a major league roster but absolutely could be helpful to a minor league club.

This was always going to be a strange Hall of Fame election. After three players (Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner) were elected one year ago, the 2026 ballot wasn’t going to include any slam-dunk first-time candidates. And the returning candidates, several of them compelling cases in their own rights, all had some kinds of red flags hurting their cause, whether on the field or off it.

In my case, I knew from the outset I would either need to vote for a first-time nominee or change my past vote on a returning candidate to risk submitting a blank ballot to the Hall of Fame. For the record, voting members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America absolutely are allowed to submit a blank ballot if they don’t believe any candidates are worthy of induction. But that’s not a path I particularly wanted to go down for the first time. (The maximum number of names permitted is 10, a number I have reached multiple times before.)

So, as I mentioned in last year’s column, I had to think long and hard about lowering some of my longstanding criteria for Hall of Fame worthiness. I’ve always believed a player needs to check off three boxes to earn my vote: 1) Excellence, 2) Longevity and 3) No on-field actions that fail to meet the character, integrity and sportsmanship standards the Hall instructs us to consider in addition to actual playing performance.

In the end, I felt it was appropriate to lower the standard for one of those criteria: Longevity. I’ve always believed players needed not only to dominate the sport, but to maintain that dominance over a significant period of time. There’s no magic number of seasons that qualifies, but it probably needed to reach double digits to be safe.

Thing is, it’s probably too much to ask today’s players to live up to that standard. Especially pitchers, whose careers just don’t last as long as they did decades ago because of the max effort most are asked to give and the inevitable injuries and deterioration that’s likely to come once they reach their 30s.

The Washington Nationals claimed utility player Mickey Gasper off waivers from the Minnesota Twins and designated right-handed pitcher Andry Lara for assignment on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni made the announcement.

Gasper, 30, hit .285 with 14 doubles, 10 home runs, 26 RBI, 25 walks, two stolen bases and 32 runs scored in 47 games for Triple-A St. Paul in 2025. He recorded a .531 slugging percentage and a .916 OPS last year, his first season in the Twins system. He appeared at catcher (17 G), designated hitter (13 G), second base (8 G), first base (6 G) and in left field (3 G). Gasper has hit .276 with a .391 on-base percentage and a .459 slugging percentage in 454 games across seven professional seasons.

Gasper made his first career Opening Day roster and enjoyed four Major League stints with the Twins in 2025. He appeared in 45 games, hitting .158 with a double, two home runs, 11 RBI, 10 walks, two stolen bases and 15 runs scored. He made his Major League debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2024, appearing in 13 games.

A 27^th-round pick by the New York Yankees in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft, Gasper was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the Minor League phase of the 2023 Rule 5 Draft and was acquired by Minnesota via trade on Dec. 24, 2024.

Washington’s 40-man roster is now at 40 players.

It’s a big day in the baseball world, because it’s Hall of Fame election day. Or, to be more precise, Hall of Fame election results announcement day.

The actual election took place earlier this winter, with BBWAA voters receiving ballots in late-November and required to mail them back no later than Dec. 31. Three weeks later, those ballots will be tallied and the results announced at 6 p.m. EST on MLB Network.

Each year’s ballot is distinctive, with its own individual quirks. This year’s is no different, with 12 first-time nominees (but none of them obvious slam dunks to be elected) and 15 returning nominees (several of them seemingly on the cusp of enshrinement).

As always, I’ll publish my own official ballot and explainer column later this evening after the results are announced. So please be sure to check back and read one of my favorite articles of the year. Until then, here are some of the biggest things to keep an eye on leading up to tonight’s revelation …

IS THIS THE YEAR FOR BELTRAN AND JONES?
The top two returning candidates are the two candidates with the best chance of being elected tonight: Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones. Beltran got awfully close last year, named on 70.3 percent of ballots. Jones was a bit farther back at 66.2 percent. It would not be surprising if both reached the magical 75 percent threshold for induction this time around. Beltran has always had a rock-solid baseball case; he’s mostly been held back by those who believe his role in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal in 2017 disqualifies him based on the Hall’s longstanding instructions that voters consider character, integrity and sportsmanship in addition to playing performance. Jones has perhaps been held back somewhat by the fact he pled guilty in 2013 to domestic violence charges against his wife, probably held back more so because his on-field performance took a nosedive after age 30. But there seems to be growing support for both, and if anyone is going to get voted in this year, these are the two most likely candidates.

The Nationals ultimately did settle with Cade Cavalli to avoid arbitration, in the process agreeing to an unconventional deal that establishes a significant raise for the right-hander in 2027 if he pitches well in 2026.

Cavalli and the Nats agreed Sunday to a contract that will pay him $862,500 this season, with a $4 million club option for next season that could be bought out for a mere $7,000, a source familiar with the terms confirmed.

The 2026 salary figure falls right at the midpoint between the numbers each side formally submitted for arbitration 11 days ago. Cavalli had sought $900,000; the team had offered $825,000. In reality, he’s guaranteed to make at least $869,500 because of the inclusion of the buyout.

It’s a small win for Cavalli, but the bigger win would come if he puts together an impressive first full major league season, convincing the Nationals he’s worth the $4 million option in 2027. (He would still be under club control if the option isn't picked up and would just need to go through the arbitration process again.)

How well would he need to pitch for the club to pick up the option? For comparison’s sake, Jake Irvin will earn $2.8 million this season as a first-time arbitration-eligible player who is coming off a difficult season in which he went 9-13 with a 5.70 ERA and 1.428 WHIP while allowing a league leading 38 homers in 180 innings.

Does it feel like this offseason has gone by really quickly to anyone else, or is it just me? It seems like only yesterday we were watching an epic Game 7 of the World Series between the Blue Jays and the eventual champion Dodgers. And now here we are, less than a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting to West Palm Beach.

Don’t get me wrong, the upcoming start of a new baseball season is exciting. It just seems that every offseason moves quicker and quicker as the years go on.

But I digress …

Though it may not seem like it, the Nationals have been pretty busy this offseason. Yes, I know a lot of fans wish there were more moves made to the major league roster, but new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni has been hard at work rebuilding the whole organization the way he wants. Unfortunately for fans, a lot of that work can’t be seen right now.

The Nats did bring back right-hander Trevor Gott on a minor league deal yesterday, per multiple reports. The 33-year-old pitched in Washington during the 2016-18 seasons after being acquired from the Angels in a trade for infielder Yunel Escobar.

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.

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with 15 international free agents on Thursday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni and Director of International Operations Victor Rodriguez made the announcement.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

PLAYER                     POS          B/T           HT             WT            AGE          D.O.B.                         HOMETOWN                               SIGNING SCOUT

Samil Serrano            OF             L/L            6'3"            174             17               11/1/2008                   San Francisco de Macorís                  Oscar Disla