Nationals add to baseball operations department

WASHINGTON -- The Nationals continue to add to their baseball operations department, hiring Mike Cubbage and Terry Wetzel on Wednesday as special assistants to general manager Mike Rizzo.

The Nats also added Brandon Larson and Scott Ramsay, who take over newly created scouting territories within the United States. Justin Bloxom, Buddy Hernandez and Steve Leavitt were hired to scout existing territories.

Best known for his playing career with the Twins, Cubbage was a special assistant to the Rays' general manager and a Major League scout for the previous nine seasons.

Cubbage managed in the Mets' system from 1983-91, and he served as interim manager of the big league club for seven games in 1991. Cubbage then spent seven seasons as New York's third-base coach before serving as the Astros' third-base coach for four seasons (1997-2000), and he was Houston's bench coach for one season (2001). In 2002 and '03, Cubbage served as the Red Sox's third-base coach.

Wetzel spent the previous 15 seasons as a special assignment scout for the Rockies. He began his scouting career in 1984 as a part-time scout with the Royals, with whom he would spend the next 17 seasons, eventually rising to the level of senior director of scouting in 1997.

Larson and Ramsay were hired to newly created positions within the amateur scouting department. Larson, the 14th overall pick in the 1997 First-Year Player Draft by the Reds, will cover Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. Ramsay also comes from the Royals. He will cover Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.

The Nationals' 11th-round pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, Bloxom was drafted out of Kansas State University and played six seasons in the Nats' system. He was hired to scout amateur players in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.

Leavitt and Hernandez came to the Nationals from the Braves. Leavitt will cover Central and Southern California, while Hernandez will scout Central and Northern Florida.

In addition, the Nationals promoted Eddie Longosz to assistant director of scouting operations, where he will continue to support Rizzo and Kris Kline, the vice president of scouting operations. Longosz is in his fifth season with the club.