The Nationals continue to revamp their front office with the hiring of a new general manager.
The Nats are hiring 31-year-old Ani Kilambi as GM, a source told MLB.com. The team has not confirmed the hiring.
Kilambi comes to the Nationals from his role as the Phillies’ assistant general manager, where he oversaw Philadelphia’s research and development as well as its use of data. He will join 35-year-old Paul Toboni, who was hired this fall as president of baseball operations, at the helm of a young Nationals team.
“The Phillies hired Kilambi, 28, in November to be an assistant general manager in charge of the club’s research departments and the club’s use of data throughout the organization. It was a noteworthy hire. Kilambi spent the past seven seasons with the Rays, who are the envy of nearly every organization for their ability to build championship-caliber rosters on shoestring budgets because of an exceptional research and development department. Rays executives often cited Kilambi last season as they churned through waves of relief pitchers to build a formidable bullpen on their way to the AL pennant.”
Kilambi began working with the Rays in 2015 and worked his way up to director, decision science. Nationals manager Blake Butera also comes from Tampa Bay’s player development system.
A 2016 graduate of UC Berkeley, Kilambi double majored in statistics and operations research and management science.
