The Houston Astros are losing a longtime member of their scouting department, with international scouting director Brian Rodgers expected to leave the organization for the same position with the Washington Nationals.
The Nationals planned to hire Rodgers as their new international scouting director, The Athletic reported Tuesday. Rodgers has led Houston’s international scouting operation since the fall of 2022 after working his way through the Astros organization beginning in 2017.
Rodgers joined Houston as a player acquisition assistant, contributing to both amateur and international scouting. He later served as a manager and assistant director in international scouting before taking over the department. According to the Astros, his work has focused on combining scouting evaluations with data-driven strategies and improving the organization’s global player-acquisition process.
Astros Added Several Top Prospects Under Rodgers
Rodgers oversaw three full international signing classes as director.
Houston’s 2024 class included Cuban outfielder César Hernández, who signed for a reported $1.7 million, along with fellow Cuban outfielder Luis Rives and Dominican infielder Franchely Silverio.
The Astros made a bigger splash in 2025, signing Cuban outfielder Kevin Alvarez for $2 million. MLB Pipeline ranked Alvarez as the No. 7 prospect in that year’s international class, and he has since emerged as one of the better prospects in Houston’s farm system.
Rodgers’ 2026 class was headlined by Dominican shortstops Albert Fermín and Randy Arias, ranked Nos. 19 and 37, respectively, among MLB Pipeline’s international prospects. Houston signed Fermín for a reported $2.1 million and Arias for approximately $1.4 million despite entering the signing period with a $5.44 million bonus pool, tied for the smallest in the majors.
International scouting has long played an important role in the Astros organization. Current and recent major-league contributors including Jose Altuve, Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, and Bryan Abreu originally entered the organization as international signees, although all were acquired before Rodgers became director.
Nationals Turn to Astros for International Overhaul
Rodgers will inherit a Washington international program that has struggled to produce major-league talent in recent years. The Nationals previously found Juan Soto, Luis García Jr., Victor Robles, and Jose A. Ferrer through the international market, but that pipeline has slowed considerably.
Washington’s move for Rodgers is part of a broader organizational overhaul that includes changes to player development, analytics, scouting, and the major-league staff.
For Houston, Rodgers’ departure creates another position to fill in a department responsible for an important source of organizational talent. The move is lateral in title, with Rodgers taking the same position in Washington that he has held with Houston since 2022. The Astros have not announced a successor.
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