The Washington Nationals will hire Devin Pearson, the Boston Red Sox director of amateur scouting, as an assistant general manager, according to club sources. Pearson follows new GM James Harris from Boston, where Harris spent seven years as assistant GM before Washington hired him in January. The hire fills one of three expected AGM slots under Harris and marks the first outside addition to a front office that has operated since 2021 under interim leadership.
Pearson joined Boston in 2018 as an area scout, rose to national crosschecker in 2021, and took the amateur scouting director role in 2023. He oversaw the Red Sox draft classes that selected Roman Anthony (2022, now the club's consensus top prospect), Kyle Teel (2023, second-ranked), and Braden Montgomery (2024, third-ranked). Boston's farm system entered 2025 ranked fourth by Baseball America after finishing 22nd in 2021. Pearson's tenure coincided with Harris directing pro scouting, the tandem operating on opposite ends of Boston's talent pipeline.
The hire answers a specific question for Nationals ownership: whether Harris would prioritize pro scouting depth—his own background—or double down on amateur evaluation, where Washington has bled institutional knowledge since Mike Rizzo was dismissed in 2023. By choosing Pearson, Harris signals that rebuilding the Nationals' $15 million annual amateur signing budget takes precedence over trade mechanics. Washington holds the fifth overall pick in June's draft, its highest selection since taking Stephen Strasburg first in 2009. The club also controls $6.3 million in international bonus pool space for the 2025-26 signing period, fourth-most in baseball.
The structural choice matters because AGM titles in baseball rarely correspond to equal power. Harris is installing Pearson in the role that Brian O'Halloran held under Rizzo—amateur scouting chief with a seat at the major-league roster table. That configuration differs from Washington's 2022-2024 structure, when interim GM Mike Matheny leaned on pro scouting director Kris Kline and senior advisor Bob Boone, both inherited from Rizzo. Neither has been retained under Harris. Pearson will report directly to Harris and sit in on trades, free-agent signings, and 40-man decisions, the standard scope for a scouting-side AGM.
Two more AGM hires are expected by late March, according to club sources. One will likely cover pro scouting and trade evaluation; the other, analytics and player development integration. Harris interviewed Dana Brown (Astros assistant GM) and Matt Klentak (Dodgers vice president, baseball operations) for the GM role before accepting Washington's offer in January. Neither is expected to join Harris' staff, but both names have circulated in AGM discussions. The Nationals are also pursuing a vice president of baseball operations, a new role designed to bridge scouting and analytics. That hire will shape whether Pearson's influence extends to international scouting or remains confined to the draft.
Washington finished 71-91 in 2024, fourth in the National League East, and hasn't posted a winning record since 2019. The club has not signed a major-league free agent to a multiyear deal since December 2021, when it gave César Hernández a one-year pact. Owner Mark Lerner authorized a $135 million payroll for 2025, up from $112 million in 2024, but still 22nd in baseball. Harris inherits a farm system ranked 18th by Baseball America, anchored by outfielder Dylan Crews (second overall, 2023) and outfielder James Wood (acquired in the Juan Soto trade). Both debuted in 2024.
Pearson's hire becomes the first external front-office addition since Washington named Kevin Long hitting coach in November 2023. The club has lost three pro scouts and two international scouts to other organizations since October, according to industry sources. Harris told local reporters in January that roster-building would "follow the draft and development," a departure from Washington's 2015-2020 model, which leaned on expensive free agents and high-leverage trades. Pearson's Boston drafts yielded $12.4 million in collective signing bonuses from 2022-2024, all below slot in total aggregate value, suggesting a preference for over-slot prep players and underslot college seniors—a strategy that requires deep regional networks and late-round conviction.
The Nationals open spring training February 12 in West Palm Beach. Harris is expected to introduce Pearson and at least one additional AGM by then.
The takeaway
Harris's first hire favors draft infrastructure over trade mechanics, and Washington's three AGM slots will shape how much autonomy Pearson holds in June.
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