Source: Nats hiring D-backs' Haas as new scouting director

The Nationals are hiring Danny Haas, a key member of the Diamondbacks’ scouting department (and prior to that the Orioles and Red Sox), as their new scouting director, a source familiar with the decision confirmed.

Haas, 47, replaces longtime Nats scouting director Kris Kline, who last month was shifted into another role in the front office working for general manager Mike Rizzo.

After a season that produced encouraging progress at the big league level and the ascension of several key prospects in the minors, the Nationals are reshaping multiple areas of their baseball operations department. Among the most notable changes: DeJon Watson was let go after two years as director of player development, and Johnny DiPuglia resigned after more than a decade running the team’s international scouting operation.

The reassignment of Kline, who had been the Nationals’ amateur scouting director since 2009, signaled another major change, the organization seeking improved performance in the MLB Draft after a sustained stretch that produced few notable big league players.

Haas has never run an entire scouting department, but he has extensive scouting experience with three organizations that enjoyed considerable success developing homegrown players.

The former minor league outfielder went straight into scouting after his playing career ended in 2002 and spent the next decade as an amateur scout for the Red Sox under Theo Epstein. Among the players Boston drafted in that time were Mookie Betts, Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury, Anthony Rizzo, Jonathan Papelbon, Clay Buchholz, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Jed Lowrie.

Haas joined the Orioles in 2012 and spent seven seasons in a variety of roles, including special assistant to the vice president of scouting. During his time in Baltimore, the organization drafted future major leaguers Kevin Gausman, Ryan Mountcastle, Trey Mancini, Hunter Harvey, Austin Hays, Christian Walker, Jonah Heim and Tanner Scott.

The Diamondbacks hired Haas in 2019 as a special assignment scout, where he worked in both amateur and professional scouting. In time, Arizona has drafted and developed Corbin Carroll, Tommy Henry, Ryne Nelson and Brandon Pfaadt while building a farm system that includes current top-100 prospects in Jordan Lawlar, Druw Jones and Tommy Troy.

The Nationals, who had the No. 2 pick in this summer’s draft, cannot pick higher than 10th in the 2024 draft despite finishing tied for the sport’s fifth-worst record this year, a product of rule changes in the most recent collective bargaining agreement, including the new draft lottery system.