Nats rework their front office

Facing an offseason full of personnel moves, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo can cross the first two off his list this week. He hired Atlanta Braves scouting director Roy Clark as assistant general manager and promoted Kris Kline from assistant scouting director to scouting director, according to a source with knowledge of the moves.

Clark, who had been the Braves’ scouting director the past 11 years, worked with Nationals president Stan Kasten in Atlanta and was responsible for finding such talents as catcher Brian McCann and pitcher Tommy Hanson. He turned down an assistant GM post with the Nationals in 2006 but likely will have more responsibility now than he would have had then.

Kline replaces Dana Brown, who took a job as special assistant to new Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos. Kline worked with Rizzo with the Arizona Diamondbacks, followed him to the Nationals and was thought to be the front-runner to replace Brown when news of his departure broke Monday.