During a Washington Nationals road series in June, president of baseball operations Paul Toboni sat in the dugout of his previous employer, the Boston Red Sox, speaking of “development.” Up in New England, stars were drafted, not signed. But when he ventured down the coast last fall, the term was largely foreign to D.C. ears. The Nationals’ minor league system had struggled to generate a consistent flow of talent for several years, which was the primary culprit for the club’s struggles after its 2019 World Series victory.
