Young GM taking over? Cubs exec Hoyer knows what it's like for Toboni

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CHICAGO -- On a busy afternoon amid the buzz of Opening Day and two major contract extensions, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer chatted with his Nationals counterpart, Paul Toboni, during pregame warmups.

They shared commonalities of coming up with the Red Sox, getting hired to a front-office role at a young age and -- now -- being at the helm of a Major League organization.

"Paul’s great,” said Hoyer, 52. “I was once one of the young guys -- not anymore. And I'm excited for those guys. I love talking to the younger presidents and GMs.”

Hoyer was named general manager of the Cubs in November of 2011 at age 37. He became president of baseball operations in November of 2020 after Theo Epstein resigned. Between his time in Chicago and Boston, where he worked with Epstein, Hoyer was the Padres’ GM from 2009-11.

Last September, Toboni was named Nationals president of baseball operations at age 35. He had most recently held the role of senior vice president, assistant general manager with Boston.

“I love Jed,” said Toboni. “We didn't cross over with the Red Sox, but we have a ton of mutual friends. … He’ll call me every now and then, not with anything really on his mind, just to check in.

“He doesn't have to do that. He’s obviously super experienced and one of the better ones in the league. So for him to take his time and reach out and to check in, it’s a cool thing. At some point, hopefully I can pass it along to someone else in the industry.”

Toboni, 31-year-old general manager Anirudh Kilambi and 33-year-old manager Blake Butera make up the youngest front office in Major League Baseball.

“There were a lot of guys that were really helpful [when I was hired], and that meant a lot to me because there were guys that weren’t,” said Hoyer. “There were guys who resented it and guys that you could feel weren’t as friendly as others. To me, that’s the future of the game.”

During Hoyer’s tenure, the Cubs ended their 108-year World Series drought in 2016 and, most recently, won 92 games last season. Toboni has taken over a Nationals team that finished 66-96 last year and has not had a winning record since capturing the World Series in 2019.

He is embarking on a journey Hoyer knows well.

“He’s got a great reputation,” Hoyer said. “I know a lot of people in Boston that really think highly of him. I’m excited for him and enjoy our conversations. I’m jealous of his youth."

Cubs senior club reporter Jordan Bastian contributed to this story.