Omar Minaya Brings More Balance to Yankees’ Front Office
The Yankees hired another veteran baseball executive on Thursday, naming Omar Minaya as senior advisor to baseball operations.
Minaya, 64, was the Mets’ general manager from 2004-2010 and more recently served as an ambassador for the Flushing franchise. He joins former Giants general manager Brian Sabean as recent additions to the Yankees’ front office.
Sabean, 66, became an executive advisor to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman on Tuesday, rejoining the club he began his career with after 30 years in San Francisco.
Like Sabean, Minaya has a background in scouting, as well as experience leading a team from the top. Their arrivals come after a few years of public questioning over how reliant the Yankees are on their analytics department and whether the organization pays enough attention to intangibles, such as how a player’s personality might fit in the New York market.
On Thursday, Minaya called “balance” a “keyword” and said it’s something he thinks there will be “more and more” of in baseball. But Minaya also praised Yankees assistant general manager Michael Fishman for having “one of the best analytics departments in the game.”
"We all agree that the game has changed,” Minaya added, referring to the way front offices make decisions. “We all have to be open to new information.”
But Minaya also noted that he values a personal approach.
"I'm a big believer that it's about people,” he said. “This game is about the human element."
Minaya, who acknowledged he was a “contrarian” when he was the Mets’ assistant general manager under Steve Phillips, said he will report directly to Cashman, just like Sabean. Cashman will determine their specific duties, but both expect to be involved with scouting.
Minaya said he and Sabean hope to bring decades of knowledge when it comes to scouting, evaluating, leadership and team building. He also plans on having the leeway to push for what he believes in and to share his opinions openly.
"I'm not one of those to conform to what the industry is saying or what people say,” Minaya said. “I hope that I'm able to bring new and different ideas and kind of offer outside the box ideas to any situation that I'm involved with."
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