The Washington Nationals are finalizing a deal to name Paul Toboni their new head of baseball operations, sources told ESPN, tabbing the Boston Red Sox assistant general manager to turn around a team barreling toward its fifth last-place finish in six seasons.

Toboni, 35, is widely regarded as one of the best young executives in baseball after rising from intern to key decision-maker in Boston's front office.

Though Toboni's background is in scouting -- he moved from intern to area scout, then ascended to assistant scouting director and scouting director -- he took on a larger portfolio as vice president of scouting and player development before being named assistant GM for Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.

The Nationals fired GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez in

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