Nats’ front office hires

Published November 3, 2009 5:00am ET



The Nationals continued adding to their front office staff on Tuesday. Former White Sox general manager Ron Schueler was named a special advisor to Nats general manager Mike Rizzo and Bill Singer was promoted to director of professional scouting.

Schueler has been in baseball for 42 years – 11 of those as the GM in Chicago, where his teams won a pair of division titles in 1993 and 2000. He also pitched professionally for four different big-league clubs. Most recently, Schueler spent two years as senior advisor of player personnel for the San Francisco Giants. Singer, meanwhile, will coordinate all Nats’ pro, minor league and winter league scouting efforts. Last season, he was a special assignment scout and the coordinator of the organization’s Pacific Rim operations. He previously spent three years with the Arizona Diamondbacks as a scout when Rizzo worked there. A two-time All-Star, Singer won 20 games for both the Dodgers and the Angels.

Washington has been busy this month. Rizzo hired Roy Clark as assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel. Schueler and Jay Robertson are new special advisors. Doug Harris was hired as director of player development, Kasey McKeon is the director of player procurement and Johnny DiPuglia is the director of international scouting, Latin America. 

Meanwhile, an MLB.com report late Tuesday says that Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly has decided not to interview for the Nats’ managerial opening. Jim Riggleman – the interim manger for the second half of the 2009 season – appears to be the favorite to earn the job on a permanent basis. Mattingly is reportedly the heir apparent to Joe Torre whenever he decides to retire. Torre has one more year remaining on his contract with Los Angeles.