(Washington) Ani Kilambi, just 31 years old, was named general manager of the Washington Nationals on Thursday.

The former Philadelphia Phillies member is the latest young talent to join Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni in Washington.

Kilambi was an assistant general manager for the Phillies, where he has worked since 2021. Before that, he worked for more than five years with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Kilambi thus obtains the position that was held for more than 15 years by Mike Rizzo, who became general manager of the Nationals in 2009, before adding the title of president of baseball operations in 2013.

Rizzo was fired in July as the Nationals headed toward their sixth straight losing season. Coach Dave Martinez was fired at the same time.

Rizzo and Martinez were at the helm in 2019 when the Nationals won the World Series, but the team hasn’t had a winning season since. The Nationals finished with a 66–96 record in 2025, placing 14th^and of the 15 clubs in the National League.

Mike DeBartolo took over as interim general manager following Rizzo’s departure and oversaw the selection of 17-year-old infielder Eli Willits with the first pick in the Major League Amateur Draft in July.

Toboni, 35, was hired at the end of September to lead Nacional; He was previously assistant general manager of the Boston Red Sox. He brought with him Blake Butera, who, at 33, became the youngest major league manager since the 1970s.

There is a lot to do to turn things around for the Nationals, who need talent and depth to rebuild their Major League roster as well as their affiliates.

Toboni’s first move on the free agent market came Monday, when the Nats agreed to a one-year, $5.5 million pact with left-handed pitcher Foster Griffin, a deal conditional on a medical exam. Griffin has played in Japan the past three seasons.

(Toronto) Right-handed pitcher Tyler Rogers and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed on the final details on Monday of the $37 million deal that will bind the player and the team for the next three seasons.

Rogers’ contract includes an option for the 2029 season.

At 34 years old, Rogers is the Blue Jays’ newest addition to the mound.

Recently, the Toronto team awarded seven-year contracts worth $210 million to Dylan Cease and three-year contracts worth $30 million to Cody Ponce. Additionally, the Blue Jays acquired reliever Chase Lee in a trade with the Detroit Tigers.

In 2025, with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, Rogers led the major leagues with 81 appearances on the mound. Since 2020, he is at the top of Major League Baseball with 403 starts and a total of 406 1/3 innings pitched in relief.

The Mets acquired Rogers on July 30 for pitchers José Buttó and Blade Tidwell, as well as outfielder Drew Gilbert, a minor league prospect.

In 420 career games with the Giants and Mets between 2019 and 2025, Rogers recorded a 2.76 ERA.

To make room for Rogers in the lineup, the Blue Jays designated left-handed pitcher Justin Bruihl for assignment.

(Toronto) Mark Shapiro, president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays, has signed a five-year contract renewal, Rogers Communications announced Friday.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

This extension follows the Blue Jays’ first World Series appearance since 1993.

The Blue Jays defeated the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series and the Seattle Mariners in the American League Championship Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

Shapiro, 58, was named president and CEO of the Blue Jays after the 2015 season, succeeding Paul Beeston, who was retiring.

Shapiro spent 24 seasons with the Cleveland Guardians, including the last five as team president.

Ross Atkins, who worked with Shapiro in Cleveland, was hired as the Blue Jays’ general manager in December 2015. Atkins signed a contract through the 2026 season.

“The opportunity to lead the Blue Jays organization for the past ten years has been incredibly rewarding,” Shapiro said in a statement.

“Together, we have built an organization of people who care deeply about baseball and are incredibly proud to be part of Team Canada. I am grateful and honored to be able to continue this work.”

Shapiro and Atkins led the Blue Jays to an American League Championship Series appearance in 2016. Toronto struggled the following year and hit rock bottom in 2018 and 2019 as the team began to rebuild around young players like Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

The process began to pay dividends during the 2020 season, which was shortened due to the pandemic. The Blue Jays returned to the postseason that year, but were defeated in the first round.

Shapiro signed a five-year contract extension in January 2021. The Blue Jays narrowly missed the playoffs that year and were eliminated in the first round in 2022, and again in 2023.

The Blue Jays finished last in the East Division standings in 2024 before rebounding with a 94-win campaign in 2025. Toronto won the East Division title and enjoyed home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

“Mark’s exceptional leadership has been a driving force behind the Blue Jays’ success, and we are excited for him to continue to lead our team and build on his incredible momentum,” said Edward Rogers, president of the Toronto Blue Jays and executive chairman of Rogers Communications.

“As the proud owners of Team Canada, we are excited to work with Mark and his team to provide them with the tools and resources needed to bring World Series championships back to Canada. »

This extension comes during a very active off-season for the Blue Jays, who this week signed right-handed pitcher Cody Ponce to a three-year, $30 million contract. They also signed ace pitcher Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $200 million contract.

Off the field, Shapiro helped lead the Rogers Center renovation, a $300 million, multi-year project. Changes to the stadium include raising the pitchers’ bullpens, upgrading the seating, a new outfield wall and more bars and restaurants.

He also oversaw a major renovation of the Blue Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida. This center is now considered one of the best in the Major Leagues.

The Guardians (then called the Indians) reached the playoffs eight times during Shapiro’s reign, including two World Series appearances.

Following the 2005 and 2007 seasons, Shapiro was named Sporting News General Manager of the Year.

Shapiro began his career in Cleveland in 1992 as a baseball operations assistant. Originally from Baltimore, he graduated in history from Princeton University in 1989.