Friday, January 02

Welcome to the latest edition of the Nationals Beat newsletter. This is your stop for the latest on and off the field, from news to exclusive player interviews and insights, brought to you by MLB.com club reporter Jessica Camerato.

Before Paul Toboni “scouted” Blake Butera as a potential manager of the Nationals, he scouted him as a potential Draft pick for the Red Sox. 

The Nats’ president of baseball operations shared the connection with the newly hired manager that goes back a decade. Toboni was working with the Red Sox in 2015 when Butera was selected by the Rays in the 35th round of the MLB Draft. 

“Actually, even though I'm not much older than him, I scouted him when he was at Boston College,” Toboni, 35, said of the 33-year-old Butera. 

Butera played 207 games over four seasons at BC. As a senior in 2015, he was named the Eagles' team captain and selected to the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) All-New England Third-Team and the ACC Academic Honor Roll. 

That season, Butera slashed .284/.370/.377. In 49 games played, he led BC in sacrifice flies (five) and hit-by-pitches (six). Butera also ranked second on the team in hits (52), RBIs (29), at-bats (183), multihit games (16) and multi-RBI games (eight), and he tied for second in doubles (nine) and stolen bases (10). 

Butera also played two summers (2013-14) in the Cape Cod League with the Chatham Anglers. Toboni recalled a strong playoff performance; Butera hit .357 in the ‘13 postseason. 

“I don't have access to the Red Sox system, and I'm not entirely sure I wrote a scouting report, to be honest,” Toboni said of the archives. “But it's funny. Actually, I remember watching him in the Cape, too.”

Butera was one of four BC players picked in the 2015 Draft. The following year, another four of his teammates were chosen. When Toboni updated his research on Butera during the managerial search, Butera received rave reviews from his former college coach.

“They had some good teams at Boston College, with Chris Shaw and Justin Dunn, Michael King and some others,” Toboni said. “I'm friends with the ex-college coach there -- his name is Mike Gambino; he’s now at Penn State -- and he obviously had wonderful things to say about Blake.”

In addition to the coaching staff, Toboni is shaping his front office.

• Regarding a potential general manager, he noted, “For the time being, I'm not planning on hiring a GM.”
  
  
• Mike DeBartolo, a longtime Nationals front-office member who had been named interim GM in July, will hold the role of senior vice president and assistant GM to help oversee baseball operations.
  
  
• Toboni also hired Devin Pearson (formerly Boston’s director of amateur scouting) and Justin Horowitz (formerly the Pirates’ director of amateur scouting) as assistant GMs. Pearson will oversee player development; Horowitz will oversee acquisitions.
  
  “They’re both just unbelievable leaders and teammates that I think will seamlessly transition into this organization and create really great relationships in short order,” said Toboni. 

The World Baseball Classic returns in 2026, and the global squads are playing exhibition games during Spring Training. The Nationals will face Team Venezuela on March 4 at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Click here to see the Nats’ Grapefruit League schedule. 

Sam Petersen, the Nationals’ No. 24 prospect, was named the Arizona Fall League Hitter of the Week for Week 4. 

During a six-game stretch, Petersen slashed .421/.476/.842 with two homers, two doubles and five RBIs. He also ranked first in the AFL in home runs and total bases (16), second in hits (eight) and slugging percentage, and third in OPS (1.318). 

Petersen collected four hits and three RBIs on Oct. 31. The following day, he hit a walk-off single.

Nationals No. 8 prospect Ethan Petry will swing for the fences in the 2025 Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby. The competition will take place Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET at Sloan Park. 

Petry, a second-round pick in the 2025 Draft, slugged 54 homers in three seasons at South Carolina. He is the only member of the 2025 Draft class playing in the AFL this fall. 

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