What happened to Johnny DiPuglia? Nationals assistant general manager and international scouting director resigns

The Washington Nationals announced Saturday that assistant general manager and international scouting director Johnny DiPuglia has resigned from his position. DiPuglia had been with the team since 2009.

He worked with the team as an international scouting director. In 2019, he was promoted to assistant general manager ahead of the team's magical World Series title run.

"The best free agent just hit the open market when brilliant talent evaluator Johnny DiPuglia resigned from the Washington Nats as their VP and international scouting director. It's a massive blow to the organization, who has yet to re-sign GM Mike Rizzo."

Neither the Nationals nor Johnny DiPuglia have publically spoken on the matter. Some believe DiPuglia's resignation in the middle of the season is to allow him to find another job.

Johnny DiPuglia knows greatness when he sees it

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One of DiPuglia's greatest accomplishments was signing Juan Soto to the Washington Nationals. Soto quickly rose to be a star and was a big reason why the Nationals won the World Series in 2019. In 158 games, Soto hit .282/.401/.548 with 34 home runs and 110 RBIs that year.

However, Soto is not the only star international player that DiPuglia has found. He is also credited with finding players like Xander Bogaerts, Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez.

Given his resume, DiPuglia should not have a problem finding another job. He is one of the best international scouts out there.

So far, the Nationals are in the middle of a rebuild with exciting prospects waiting in the wings. But they have struggled this season, compiling a 62-75 record on the year.

Given their top prospects, Dylan Crews and James Wood, are expected to debut during the 2024 season, fans have something to look forward to. They are excited for this team to turn the corner next year.