Nationals poach new international scouting director from Astros after scouting misses

The Washington Nationals have hired Brian Rodgers away from the Houston Astros to serve as their new director of international scouting. The front office move was first reported by Spencer Nusbaum and Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Led by President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni, the acquisition continues an organizational effort to overhaul the club's infrastructure across multiple departments.

The staffing change follows a turbulent period for Washington's international scouting department, which previously enjoyed successes with players such as Juan Soto, Víctor Robles, and Luis García Jr. However, international acquisitions largely struggled in subsequent years, highlighted by high-profile misses such as Yasel Antuna, who received a $3.9 million signing bonus in 2017.