Archive for Red Sox

40-Man Roster Deadline Analysis: AL East

© Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Tuesday’s 40-man roster deadline led to the usual squall of transaction activity, with teams turning over portions of their rosters in an effort to make room for the incoming crop of young rookies. Often, teams with an overflow of viable big leaguers will try to get back what they can for some of those players via trade, but because we’re talking about guys straddling the line between major league viability and Triple-A, those trades tend not to be big enough to warrant an entire post. Over the next few days, I’ll endeavor to cover and analyze the moves made by each team, division by division. Readers can view this as the start of list season, as the players covered in this miniseries tend to be prospects who will get big league time in the next year. I’ll spend more time discussing players who I think need scouting updates or who I haven’t written about in the past. If you want additional detail on some of the more famous names you find below, pop over to The Board for a more thorough report. The Future Value grades littered throughout these posts may be different than those on the 2022 in-season prospect lists on The Board to reflect my updated opinions, and may be subject to change during the offseason.

Baltimore Orioles

Current 40-man Count: 39
Added Prospects: SP Grayson Rodriguez (60 FV), SS Joey Ortiz (50 FV), SP Seth Johnson (40+ FV), SP Drew Rom (40 FV), MIRP Noah Denoyer (35+ FV)
External Additions: CF Daz Cameron (waivers from Detroit), C Mark Kolozsvary (35+ FV, waivers from Reds)

In addition to free agent departures (Rougned Odor and Jesús Aguilar to name a few), the Orioles primed space on their 40-man roster by outrighting several fringe big leaguers, and opened Tuesday morning with just 34 players on their 40-man. They’ve had an especially high rate of turnover at catcher over the last few weeks, as they let Robinson Chirinos walk in free agency, outrighted Cam Gallagher and Anthony Bemboom off the roster, claimed both Aramis Garcia and Mark Kolozsvary off waivers from the Reds, and then outrighted Garcia. I have Kolozsvary, who is still prospect-eligible, evaluated as a third catcher on the 40-man.

Mike Elias also scooped up old buddy Daz Cameron, who replaces Yusniel Diaz on the 40-man. Daz has been in “prospect limbo” for about a year, as he graduated from rookie status in 2021 but still spent most of this season in the minors. The 40 FV (a fifth outfielder eval) and tool grades assigned to him at that time still hold (you can see those on his player page), making Daz a defensive upgrade to Diaz (who was outrighted off the roster) and a L/R fit with a couple other Orioles outfielders (Kyle Stowers, Cedric Mullins, maybe some Terrin Vavra). Cameron is out of options while Ryan McKenna (who I preferred to Cameron as a prospect by the time he graduated) is not, so barring further moves I assume Daz is more likely to break camp with the big club at this point. Read the rest of this entry »


Sunday Notes: Toronto Native Denzel Clarke Aspires to Thrive in Oakland

Denzel Clarke isn’t one of the highest-profile prospects in the Oakland Athletics organization. A 2021 fourth-round pick out of Cal State Northridge, the 22-year-old outfielder is No. 17 in our most recent ranking of the system. But he is one of the most intriguing — and most exciting. Gifted with elite athleticism, Clarke made a number of highlight-reel catches this summer, and he also legged out a pair of inside-the-park home runs. In a season split between Low-A Stockton and High-A Lansing, he put up a 123 wRC+ while going deep 15 times and stealing 30 bases in 33 attempts.

His baseball background is modest compared to that of most of his peers. A native of Ontario, Canada, Clarke began playing at age 10, and it wasn’t until he was 16 that he began taking the game seriously. It was then that his travel-ball coach with the Toronto Mets told him he had a shot at doing something special if he devoted his attention to the diamond. Prior to that, he was multi-sport to the max.

“I played everything,” explained Clarke, who is currently with the Arizona Fall League’s Mesa Solar Sox. “In school, it was track and field — that runs in the family (Clarke’s mother competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics) —volleyball, basketball, badminton. I love racquet sports, so I played some tennis. I touched on pretty much everything except football and hockey. My mom was very precautionary with concussions, so those are the two I avoided.” Read the rest of this entry »


Red Sox Acquisition Jake Reed Has a Less Funky Arm Slot in Mind

© Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox acquired a unique pitcher when they claimed Jake Reed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles last week. They also acquired a pitcher who is heading into the offseason looking to rework a delivery that is among the funkiest in the game. As Ben Clemens showed us when writing about him last summer, the side-slinging 28-year-old right-hander has been attacking hitters from an arm slot that is anything but ordinary.

Reed’s effectiveness in the big leagues has been a mixed bag. Since debuting with the Dodgers last July, he’s held same-sided batters to a .639 OPS, but he’s also logged a 5.74 ERA over his 28 relief appearances. With designs on jumpstarting a professional career that began in 2014 when he was drafted 140th overall by the Minnesota Twins out of the University of Oregon, Reed plans to not only bring a new throwing motion with him to Boston, but a higher octane heater as well.

Reed discussed the evolution of his atypical delivery, and why it again needs to change, on the final weekend of the regular season.

———

On dropping his arm angle:
“I’d pretty much always been low three-quarters. I was pitching pretty well in the minors, but in 2017 the Twins changed over their front office. Baseball was getting a lot more progressive, which sort of changed how guys are valued. I threw pretty hard — I was a mid-to-upper-90s kind of guy — but my stuff didn’t necessarily perform super well analytically. So about halfway through the 2019 season we had a long conversation and came to the idea of me dropping down sidearm and trying to create more movement on my sinker, and improve my slider. That was the first time I really made that transition from how I’d thrown my whole life. Read the rest of this entry »


Job Posting: Boston Red Sox – Multiple Openings

Senior Developer, Baseball Systems

Location: Boston, MA
Department: Baseball Operations
Status: Full-Time

Position Overview:
The Senior Developer, Baseball Systems position will be a member of the baseball operations software development team, and is responsible for the design, development, and support, of all baseball systems. This individual will work closely with members of baseball operations to understand business requirements that drive the analysis, design, and development of quality baseball systems and solutions. This senior developer will collaborate closely with the Director of Baseball Systems, colleagues on the software development team, and baseball operations personnel from all departments.

Responsibilities

  • Create leading-edge baseball solutions together with the software development team and others on new and existing baseball systems
  • Lead the design and implementation of the software architecture and embrace a software engineering mindset
  • Lead the software development process of critical baseball applications, including requirements gathering, analysis, effort estimation, technical investigation, software design and implementation, testing, bug fixing, and quality assurance
  • Responsible for the design and development of databases, web services, graphical user interfaces, and other aspects of web and desktop applications
  • Actively participate in the architecting, deployment, and maintenance of system solutions in a cloud-based environment
  • Actively participate with colleagues in design reviews, code reviews, and exercise best practices
  • Work closely with baseball analysts to design and implement solutions to their modeling and data needs
  • Respond to and resolve technical problems and issues in a timely manner
  • Identify and implement creative solutions for technical challenges

Technical Skills

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field
  • 5 or more years of development experience using some combination of C#, Java, Python, Ruby, JavaScript, Typescript, T-SQL, ServiceStack, Angular, React, Vue, Knockout, or other frameworks, with a focus on responsive & progressive web applications.
  • Strong database design and development experience, especially with MS SQL Server
  • Experience integrating systems and data using third-party APIs and web services
  • Experience with cloud technologies from AWS, GCP, or Azure are a plus
  • Experience with R is a plus
  • Experience with Dev Ops tools is a plus

General Skills:

  • Ability to work autonomously and as a team in a fast paced environment
  • High level of attention to detail with the ability to multi-task effectively
  • Comfortable working remotely using Zoom, Teams, Slack, Trello, and other tools to communicate with all team members
  • High degree of professionalism and ability to maintain confidential information
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills
  • An understanding of baseball, common terms, and analytic measures, are a plus

The Red Sox (or FSM) requires proof of being up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, subject to applicable legal requirements. Up-to-date means having received all recommended COVID-19 vaccination doses in the primary series and a booster dose(s) when eligible, per CDC guidelines.

Prospective employees will receive consideration without discrimination based on race, religious creed, color, sex, age, national origin, handicap, disability, military/veteran status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or protected genetic information.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.


Data Architect, Baseball Systems

Location: Boston, MA
Department: Baseball Operations
Status: Full-Time

Position Overview:
The Data Architect, Baseball Systems position will be a member of the baseball operations software development team, and is responsible for the design, implementation, and deployment of the information architecture of all baseball systems. This position must be comfortable with on-premises and cloud solutions, and take the initiative to explore new optimizations and cutting-edge data technologies and is expected to research industry trends to stay current on new tools and technology, and will work closely with our data engineers, analysts, developers, and other members of baseball operations.

Responsibilities

  • Through research, design, and architectural efforts, and in collaboration with software development resources, ensure we have access to world-class data for analytical and system purposes.
  • Develop a thorough understanding of the all areas within Baseball Operations to help design effective and highly integrated solutions
  • Ensure processes and systems are in place to support the integrity, accuracy, consistency, and availability of all content
  • Create and manage ETL (extract, transform, load) data integration processes
  • In collaboration with the analytics and software development teams, design and implement baseball algorithms and functionality
  • Partner with data providers to understand current and future data roadmaps, identify limitations, and develop along-term data content plan in collaboration with baseball leadership
  • Respond to and resolve data-related problems and issues in a timely manner.
  • Complete ad-hoc database queries and analysis as directed
  • Effectively communicate statuses to the Director, as well as other leadership as requested throughout all projects

Knowledge & Experience:

  • Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, data engineering, or equivalent professional experience; Master’s degree a plus
  • 6+ years of related work experience, including demonstrated knowledge about data management best practices and ability to effectively solve problems pertaining to data infrastructure and integrity
  • Proven track record of collecting and understanding complex requirements and delivering creative and effective solutions
  • Expertise in relational databases, database design, architecture, and development
  • Expertise designing and building data models for Snowflake and ingesting data into Snowflake using various pipelines
  • Expertise in writing and optimizing SQL queries in SQL Server or other database technologies
  • Experience with Azure, AWS, and/or GCP cloud technologies, such as Cloud SQL, RDS, Redshift, Azure SQL, and others, and working with hybrid on-premises technologies
  • Experience building solutions using Python, C#, C++, Ruby, or other languages
  • Experience with scheduling and workflow management platforms, such as Airflow
  • Experience with big data systems such as Spark or Hadoop is a plus
  • Experience with R and RStudio is a plus

Personal Attributes:

  • Ability to work autonomously and as a team in a fast-paced environment
  • High level of attention to detail with the ability to multi-task effectively
  • Comfortable working remotely using Zoom, Teams, Slack, Trello, and other tools to communicate with all team members
  • High degree of professionalism and ability to maintain confidential information
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills
  • An understanding of baseball is a plus

The Red Sox (or FSM) requires proof of being up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, subject to applicable legal requirements. Up-to-date means having received all recommended COVID-19 vaccination doses in the primary series and a booster dose(s) when eligible, per CDC guidelines.

Prospective employees will receive consideration without discrimination based on race, religious creed, color, sex, age, national origin, handicap, disability, military/veteran status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or protected genetic information.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.


Data Engineer, Baseball Systems

Location: Boston, MA
Department: Baseball Operations
Status: Full-Time

Position Overview:
The Data Engineer, Baseball Systems position will be a member of the baseball operations software development team, and is responsible for integrating, collecting, processing, and storing many sources of baseball data, as well as designing and building new data solutions. This position must be comfortable with on-premises and cloud solutions, and take the initiative to explore new optimizations and cutting-edge data technologies. This individual will work closely with our data architect, analysts, developers, and other members of baseball operations.

Responsibilities

  • Build leading-edge baseball solutions together with the software development team, analysts, and others on new and existing baseball systems
  • Build and maintain integration pipelines, often via an API or file-based, while also identifying areas of improvement and spending time to re-architect when required
  • Build and maintain infrastructure to optimize extraction, transformation, and the loading of data from various sources
  • Design, build, and maintain data warehousing solutions for the software development and analytics teams
  • Build and maintain tools for the analysts to enable more efficient and extensive data modeling and simulation efforts
  • Participate in key phases of the software development process of critical baseball applications, including requirements gathering, analysis, effort estimation, technical investigation, software design and implementation, testing, bug fixing, and quality assurance
  • Actively participate with software developers and data architects in design reviews, code reviews, and other best practices
  • Work closely at times with baseball analysts to design and implement data solutions
  • Respond to and resolve technical problems and issues in a timely manner

Technical Skills

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Statistics, Information Systems, or a related field
  • 2-3 years of experience in a Date Engineer role
  • Proficiency with SQL and query optimizations, stored procedures, views, and other database objects
  • Experience building custom API integrations, interfacing with JSON, XML, and custom data structures
  • Experience with AWS, GCP, or Azure cloud services, such as Cloud SQL, RDS, Redshift, Azure SQL, Azure SQL DW, or others
  • Experience building data solutions using Python, C#, C++, Ruby, or other languages
  • Experience with scheduling and workflow management platforms, such as Airflow
  • Experience with ETL tools and pipelines from various platforms
  • Experience with big data frameworks such as Hadoop or Spark is a plus
  • Experience with R and RStudio is a plus

General Skills:

  • Ability to work autonomously and as a team in a fast paced environment
  • High level of attention to detail with the ability to multi-task effectively
  • Comfortable working remotely using Zoom, Teams, Slack, Trello, and other tools to communicate with all team members
  • High degree of professionalism and ability to maintain confidential information
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills
  • An understanding of baseball is a plus

The Red Sox (or FSM) requires proof of being up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, subject to applicable legal requirements. Up-to-date means having received all recommended COVID-19 vaccination doses in the primary series and a booster dose(s) when eligible, per CDC guidelines.

Prospective employees will receive consideration without discrimination based on race, religious creed, color, sex, age, national origin, handicap, disability, military/veteran status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or protected genetic information.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.


Technology Specialist, Baseball Systems

Location: Boston, MA
Department: Baseball Operations
Status: Full-Time

Position Overview:
The Technology Specialist, Baseball Systems is responsible for ensuring the installation, readiness, monitoring, maintenance, and support of key baseball operation’s technology at all Red Sox affiliate ballparks, Fenway Park, and at our Academy in the Dominican Republic. Baseball operations technology includes, but is not limited to, specialized camera systems, radar tracking systems, advanced pitching machines, video coaching systems, optical tracking systems, medical technologies, and other supporting technology, as necessary. The role will have a dual-reporting relationship to the Director, Baseball Systems as well as to the VP, IT Operations. The ideal candidate must be detailed-oriented, self-motivated, possess strong communications and project management skills, good technical experience, and an understanding of baseball or other professional sports. The candidate will need to effectively manage the operational readiness and health of numerous systems, coordinate with technical personnel within the Red Sox as well as vendors supporting ballparks and key technology providers.

Responsibilities:

  • Manage the installation, readiness, maintenance, and support of key Baseball Operations technology at all Red Sox affiliate ballparks, Fenway Park, and at our Academy in the Dominican Republic
  • Monitor and ensure the proper functioning of these key technologies, particularly during spring training and the baseball season
  • Develop an effective relationship with Baseball Operations technology partners, installation and support vendors, Baseball Operations personnel and ballpark resources
  • Take calls, Slack, IM, and respond to e-mails for teir-1 support from ballpark resources, vendors, Baseball Operations, and IT
  • Log and monitor all support calls and manage/escalate tickets with tier-2 resources in ServiceNow
  • Partner with Baseball Operations and IT on the scheduling and deployment of key ballpark technologies in conjunction with vendors and respective ballpark personnel
  • Create and update ballpark technical documentation to reflect the positioning of key baseball technologies
  • Communicate timely and thoroughly to Baseball Operations and IT leadership on business interruptions
  • Work collaboratively with ballpark technology vendors using Slack, Trello, IM, and other communication tools to support all baseball technologies
  • Develop a working knowledge of Baseball Operations technology and support requirements to help troubleshoot and resolve issues when possible
  • Manage vendor invoices associated with the installation, operation, and support of Baseball Operations technology. Communicate expenditures with Director, Baseball Operations and VP, IT Operations.

Characteristics/Qualifications:

  • 2 or 4-year college degree, preferably in an IT-related discipline or related experience
  • Proficiency with PC hardware and software, with basic to intermediate troubleshooting a must
  • Thorough knowledge of Microsoft software (e.g., Office, Exchange, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, O365, etc.)
  • Experience working in a sports or entertainment environment and an understanding of the key technologies and support requirements
  • Experience working with ballpark technologies is a plus
  • Good project management skills
  • Strong written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills
  • Strong problem-solving skills
  • Aptitude to work independently
  • Able to prioritize work, effectively communicate risk, and able to meet deadlines
  • Ability to work effectively with all levels of employees
  • Ability to partner with vendors
  • High degree of professionalism and ability to maintain confidential information
  • Willing to travel to affiliates and the Dominican Republic as needed

The Red Sox (or FSM) requires proof of being up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, subject to applicable legal requirements. Up-to-date means having received all recommended COVID-19 vaccination doses in the primary series and a booster dose(s) when eligible, per CDC guidelines.

Prospective employees will receive consideration without discrimination based on race, religious creed, color, sex, age, national origin, handicap, disability, military/veteran status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or protected genetic information.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.


Associate, Baseball Strategy/Personnel

Location: Boston, MA
Department: Baseball Operations
Status: Associate / Co-Op / Intern

Position Overview:
This position will provide organizational support centered on valuation, strategic planning, empirical research, analytical interaction, and process design. The role will collaborate with multiple departments and functions within baseball operations, including but not limited to player acquisition, pro scouting, development, analytics, and systems.

Responsibilities:

  • Support player acquisition with player valuation, targeting, and roster planning.
  • Assist with major/minor league free agency, trade analysis, the rule 5 draft, waivers, etc.
  • Interact with the analytics department and contribute to QC with relevant tool/model outputs.
  • Support departments in baseball operations with regards to valuation and empirical research initiatives.
  • Strategic planning in the areas of player evaluation, acquisition, and development initiatives.
  • Stay up to date on pertinent analytical work, research, and resources across the player landscape, internal and external. Discover insights and trends in public and internal data and tooling.
  • Participate in idea generation and scenario planning.
  • Other tasks as assigned.

Characteristics/Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree or above in a related field.
  • Strong written/verbal communication skills and work ethic.
  • Team focused mentality, with exceptional collaborative abilities.
  • Attention to detail, while also having the ability to work quickly and balance multiple priorities.
  • Experience with programming languages (e.g., C, Python, Matlab or R) is beneficial, but not required.
  • Experience in SQL is beneficial.

The Red Sox (or FSM) requires proof of being up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, subject to applicable legal requirements. Up-to-date means having received all recommended COVID-19 vaccination doses in the primary series and a booster dose(s) when eligible, per CDC guidelines.

Prospective employees will receive consideration without discrimination based on race, religious creed, color, sex, age, national origin, handicap, disability, military/veteran status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or protected genetic information.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Boston Red Sox.


Sunday Notes: Joe Maddon is Glad He Didn’t Get the Boston Job

Two years before being hired to manage the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Joe Maddon interviewed for the job in Boston. The winter-of-2003 vetting by the then Red Sox decision-makers — a subject I broached with Maddon in a 2007 interview — didn’t bear fruit… but what if it had? Earlier this week, I asked the proud son of Hazleton, Pennsylvania what might have happened had he started his big-league managerial career in Boston.

“I don’t think it would have turned out as well,” responded Maddon, who spent nine years in Tampa before going on to manage the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Angels. “I wasn’t ready for that; I wasn’t ready for that market. Theo [Epstein] and Jed [Hoyer] made a great decision. Tito was the right guy.”

History bears that out. Four years removed from managing the Philadelphia Phillies for the same number of seasons, Terry Francona led the Red Sox to their first World Series title since 1918. While Maddon went on to win a World Series of his own, with the Cubs in 2016 — the team’s first since 1908 — hiring a first-year manager as Grady Little’s replacement wouldn’t have been in Boston’s best interests. Nor in Maddon’s.

“I needed more time to really develop what I wanted to do, and how I wanted to do it,” explained Maddon, whose managerial resume includes nine 90-plus-win seasons. “I really did need more of an expansion team than a tradition-based team at that point. I could experiment. I could try different things that weren’t very popular, or that nobody had thought about. I needed that wider berth, and the support that I got from Andrew [Friedman] at that particular time. So, thank God for unanswered prayers. I wanted the Red Sox job, but it was so much better for me to start out with the Devil Rays.” Read the rest of this entry »


Job Posting: Boston Red Sox Manager/Director, Baseball Initiatives and Analyst

Manager/Director, Baseball Initiatives

Location: Boston, MA
Department: Baseball Operations
Status: Full-Time

Position Overview:
Research and implement new long-term initiatives throughout baseball operations, and identify under-resourced but potentially fruitful areas for strategic development, in order to create competitive advantages for the Red Sox.

Responsibilities:

  • Build relationships throughout baseball operations to understand current organizational processes and identify opportunities for advancement
  • Work systematically to understand best practices within the industry and what drives their effectiveness
  • Work to understand what past new initiatives have had impact in baseball and why
  • Research possible new initiatives that could have positive impact on the Red Sox, including identifying relevant areas of emphasis, best practices, and new initiatives in other sports and industries
  • Regularly communicate with senior baseball operations leadership to recommend and prioritize new initiatives, then develop action plans to implement them
  • Collaborate with appropriate personnel, including department heads, to implement selected initiatives and work with relevant staff to integrate into the department’s day-to-day
  • Build processes to assess these initiatives, define success and failure, and learn from their implementation
  • Spearhead other special projects as appropriate and directed
  • Oversee and participate in the hiring of any future positions within this space

Characteristics/Qualifications

  • Self-motivated; comfortable working independently from day-to-day baseball operations business
  • High levels of humility and curiosity
  • Creative and entrepreneurial mindset, with a willingness to challenge the status quo
  • Able to build comprehensive action plans and a willingness to use evidence to assess their effectiveness
  • Team-focused, with above-average ability to build relationships and collaborate
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills

*Level of the role will be based on candidate experience and expected contribution

The Red Sox (or FSM) requires proof of being up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, subject to applicable legal requirements. Up-to-date means having received all recommended COVID-19 vaccination doses in the primary series and a booster dose(s) when eligible, per CDC guidelines.

Prospective employees will receive consideration without discrimination based on race, religious creed, color, sex, age, national origin, handicap, disability, military/veteran status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or protected genetic information.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.


Analyst

Location: Boston, MA
Department: Baseball Operations
Status: Full-Time

Position Overview:
The Boston Red Sox are seeking an Analyst for the team’s Baseball Analytics department. The role will support all areas of Baseball Operations while working closely with Director of Baseball Analytics, and our team of analysts.

This is an opportunity to work in a fast-paced, intellectually curious environment and to impact player evaluation, acquisition, development and strategic decision making.

Responsibilities:

  • Statistical modeling and quantitative analysis of a variety of data sources, for the purpose of player evaluation, strategic decision-making, decision analysis, etc.
  • Effectively present analyses through the use of written reports and data visualization to disseminate insights to members of the Baseball Operations leadership.
  • Maintain working expertise of leading-edge analytics, including publicly available research and novel statistical approaches, in order to recommend new or emerging techniques, technologies, models, and algorithms.
  • Other projects and related duties as directed by the Director, Baseball Analytics, and other members of Baseball Operations leadership.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in an analytical field such as statistics, predictive analytics, data science, engineering, applied math, physics, quantitative social sciences, computer science, computer vision, or operations research.
  • Masters, PhD, or equivalent experience in one of the aforementioned fields preferred.
  • Advanced understanding of statistical methods or machine learning techniques.
  • Proficiency with modern database technologies including SQL.
  • Demonstrated experience with programming languages (e.g., R or Python).
  • Demonstrated ability to communicate technical ideas to non-technical audiences using data visualization.
  • Attention to detail while also having the ability to work quickly and balance multiple priorities.
  • Ability to work evening, weekend, and holiday hours is a must.
  • Other programming and database skills are a plus.

The Red Sox (or FSM) requires proof of being up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, subject to applicable legal requirements. Up-to-date means having received all recommended COVID-19 vaccination doses in the primary series and a booster dose(s) when eligible, per CDC guidelines.

Prospective employees will receive consideration without discrimination based on race, religious creed, color, sex, age, national origin, handicap, disability, military/veteran status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or protected genetic information.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Boston Red Sox.


Red Sox MiLB Player of the Year Niko Kavadas Crushes Baseballs

Fenway Park
Enterprise News

Niko Kavadas climbed multiple levels in his first full professional season. Moreover, he was one of the best hitters in the minors. Drafted in the 11th round last year by the Boston Red Sox out of the University of Notre Dame, the 6-foot-1, 230-pound first baseman slashed .280/.442/.547 with 26 home runs, those numbers coming between Low-A Salem, High-A Greenville, and Double-A Portland. His 170 wRC+ ranked third highest among MLB farmhands who logged at least 300 plate appearances.

I recently asked Portland Sea Dogs development coach Katie Krall what makes Boston’s 2022 Minor League Player of the Year as good as he is.

“Niko understands his thumbprint as a hitter,” she said of Kavadas, who came to the plate 515 times and augmented his 110 hits with 102 walks. “He knows where he does damage. He’s got a disciplined approach in terms of the types of pitches he’s looking to hit and doesn’t chase a lot. If you look at his heat map, he does most of his damage belt to below, so a message we’ve tried to hammer home with him is to focus on that. He’s really bought into it. Even here in Double-A, where he hasn’t had the same results that he did in Greenville, the underlying processes are trending in the right direction.”

Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham offered a similar assessment. Citing Kavadas’ combination of power and plate discipline, he expressed that the left-handed hitter is unique in that he “almost has a contact approach that produces power.” Read the rest of this entry »


The Race For Third Place In AL MVP Voting Is On

© Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

This morning, on your way to your local coffee shop or the train station, you probably passed two guys writhing around on the sidewalk, one screaming “Aaron Judge!” while trying to wrap up his counterpart in a figure-four leg lock; the other, attempting valiantly to squirm out of his predicament and refusing to tap out, shouting “Shohei Ohtani!”

Such is the nature of this year’s AL MVP discourse, the most spirited awards debate since the halcyon days of Mike Trout vs. Miguel Cabrera a decade ago. And that’s appropriate — these are two of the most recognizable names in the sport, both accomplishing things we only see once every few decades, and both doing it in major markets. (I’m framing it this way on purpose in order to provoke a second argument: Is Anaheim really part of the Greater Los Angeles area, or is it something else?)

But they name three MVP finalists, not two, which leaves us a little less than two months from a hilarious television moment: Judge and Ohtani, on MLB Network, awaiting the results of this contentious election while the host runs down the credentials of some joker with no shot at all of taking home the hardware.

So who should that joker be? Read the rest of this entry »


From a Failed Quest For More Power, Rob Refsnyder Has Evolved as a Hitter

Rob Refsnyder
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Rob Refsnyder is having a career-best season with the Boston Red Sox. Playing in a reserve role, the 31-year-old journeyman outfielder is slashing .304/.380/.462 with four home runs and a 143 wRC+ in 129 plate appearances. He’s done most of his damage against lefties, boasting a robust 1.056 OPS versus opposite-handed hurlers.

He’s followed a meandering path to success. Since debuting with the New York Yankees in 2015, the University of Arizona product has played for eight different organizations, seeing big-league time with five of them. Along the way, he’s worked with numerous hitting coaches in an attempt to turn the proverbial corner as a hitter. Refsnyder entered this season with a .224/.310/.308 slash line, and six of his 10 career home runs, in 614 MLB plate appearances.

A failed quest to produce more power is part of his story. Six years ago this month, Refsnyder was quoted in a Sunday Notes column saying that he was “going to try to hit home runs… I’m going to try to completely change my game.”

Earlier this summer, I reminded Refsnyder about that conversation, then asked if he could take me through his subsequent evolution as a hitter. Here is what he had to say. Read the rest of this entry »


Job Posting: Boston Red Sox Baseball Operations Associate Positions

2023 Player Development Associate

FORT MYERS, FL, UNITED STATES / BASEBALL OPERATIONS / SEASONAL

Position Overview:

The Player Development Associate will be a member of the Player Development team, and is responsible for assisting with baseball operations at our complex in Fort Myers, FL. This individual will collaborate closely with Player Development front office personnel, coordinators, and coaches.

Responsibilities:

  • Assist with day to day logistics for Minor League Spring Training, Extended Spring Training, Florida Complex League, and Instructional League.
  • Assist with daily administrative operations.
  • Organize and distribute game video in a timely and quality manner.
  • Manage video database to make sure it is readily available for staff and players to view.
  • Collect non-game video proactively and at the request of staff.
  • Operate and maintain various technology such as Blast, Rapsodo, Trackman, and Edgertronic cameras.
  • Distribute analytical information to PD staff produced by our Analytics department.
  • Assist with various administrative projects as assigned by coaching staff and Front Office.

Characteristics / Qualifications:

  • Strong administrative skills
  • Organized, proactive, and strong communicative skills
  • Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
  • Willing to relocate to Fort Myers, FL
  • Willing to work nights, weekends, and holidays
  • Prior softball or baseball experience is preferred
  • Prior video experience (BATS, Synergy, Edgertronic) is preferred
  • Prior technology experience with one or more of the following: Trackman, Blast, Rapsodo) is preferred

The Red Sox (or FSM) requires proof of being up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, subject to applicable legal requirements. Up-to-date means having received all recommended COVID-19 vaccination doses in the primary series and a booster dose(s) when eligible, per CDC guidelines.

Prospective employees will receive consideration without discrimination based on race, religious creed, color, sex, age, national origin, handicap, disability, military/veteran status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or protected genetic information.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.


2023 Minor League Video & Technology Associate

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS / BASEBALL OPERATIONS / ASSOCIATE / CO-OP / INTERN

Position Overview:
The Minor League Video & Technology Associate will be a member of the Player Development team, and is responsible for managing video and data collection at their assigned affiliate. This individual will collaborate closely with the coaching staff, coordinators, Player Development, Baseball Systems, and Analytics front office members.

Responsibilities:

  • Collect video by setting up multiple cameras and using BATS video software.
  • Organize and distribute game video in a timely and quality manner.
  • Manage video database to make sure it is readily available for staff and players to view.
  • Manage all video equipment and computers making sure it is properly cared for and working effectively.
  • Collect non-game video proactively and at the request of staff.
  • Operate and maintain various technology used at affiliate such as Blast, Rapsodo, Trackman, Hawkeye, Kinatrax, and Edgertronic cameras.
  • Distribute analytical information to coaching staff produced by our Analytics department.
  • Assist with various administrative projects as assigned by coaching staff and Front Office.
  • Assist in video collection and technology implementation during Spring Training.

Characteristics/Qualifications:

  • Strong administrative skills
  • Organized, proactive, and strong communicative skills
  • Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
  • Willing to relocate
  • Willing to work nights, weekends, and holidays
  • Willing to travel with the team
  • Prior baseball/softball experience is preferred – College baseball team, summer team, training facility
  • Prior video experience (BATS, Synergy, Edgertronic) is preferred
  • Prior baseball technology experience (Trackman, Blast, Rapsodo) is preferred

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.


2023 Baseball Operations Associate

BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES / BASEBALL OPERATIONS / ASSOCIATE / CO-OP / INTERN

Position Overview:
The Baseball Operations Associate will support all areas of the Baseball Operations Department, while primarily focusing on one or two areas (Amateur Scouting, International Scouting, Professional Scouting, and Advance Scouting) with day-to-day administrative and office management duties.

Responsibilities:

  • Assist with daily administrative tasks for your department.
  • Creatively pursue ways to improve internal processes.
  • Organize and maintain information from non-office personnel.
  • Manage video database including tagging & editing.
  • Prepare information and logistics for meetings.
  • Assist with various administrative and research projects.
  • Operate various technology during home games.

Characteristics / Qualifications:

  • Strong administrative skills
  • Ability to multitask in stressful situations
  • Strategic thinking & planning
  • Organized, proactive, and strong communicative skills
  • Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
  • Willing to relocate
  • Willing to work nights, weekends, and holidays
  • Prior softball or baseball experience is preferred
  • Ability to communicate in Spanish is preferred
  • Valid Driver’s License

The Red Sox (or FSM) requires proof of being up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, subject to applicable legal requirements. Up-to-date means having received all recommended COVID-19 vaccination doses in the primary series and a booster dose(s) when eligible, per CDC guidelines.

Prospective employees will receive consideration without discrimination based on race, religious creed, color, sex, age, national origin, handicap, disability, military/veteran status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or protected genetic information.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.


2022-23 Amateur Scouting Development Associate

TAMPA, FL OR JACKSONVILLE, FL / BASEBALL OPERATIONS / SEASONAL

Position Overview:
The Boston Red Sox Amateur Scouting Development Associate is one of the most unique entry-level positions in the industry. It provides the opportunity to hone your skills as an evaluator; directly assisting area scouts and cross checkers with coverage while concurrently supporting the front office staff with video and data collection. In the role, this person will spend most of their time tracking down specific targets, writing reports, and meeting with members of the department to expedite personal and professional growth. The Associate will also get the opportunity to present at draft meetings and gain insight to draft strategy to further development. Cultivating impact evaluators that eventually fit into future openings within the scouting departments of the Boston Red Sox is a priority. These Associate roles hopefully serve as a key step towards achieving that goal.

Responsibilities:

  • Assisting local area scouts with coverage
  • Writing scouting reports
  • Learning to navigate the landscape of internal systems
  • Understanding the ancillary job responsibilities of area scouts
  • Collecting video
  • Building a foundation of understanding baseball technologies
  • Developing relationships with the local baseball community
  • Assist in on-field player workouts
  • Participate in weekly meetings with front office personnel

Characteristics / Qualifications:

  • Strong passion for scouting and talent evaluation
  • Evident open-mindedness with a high willingness to learn & receive feedback
  • Excellent time management skills
  • Sound communication skills
  • Admirable attention to detail
  • Flexible hours including nights & weekends
  • Willingness to relocate

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

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