Please note, this posting contains three positions.

Position: Coordinator, Medical Administration

Location: New York, NY

Major League Baseball is looking to hire a Coordinator, Medical Administration in its League Economics & Operations Department. The position is full-time, and is based in New York City.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Assist with all administrative duties around compliance with the league-wide Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system standards.
• Monitor completeness of entries and provide feedback to Clubs to ensure that all appropriate documentation is entered in the EMR.
• Serve as key point-of-contact for Club baseball operations and medical personnel on EMR compliance and other player medical and injury topics.
• Help to set strategy for EMR development with Club athletic trainers, physicians and other Commissioner’s Office employees.
• Work with joint MLB-MLBPA epidemiologists and research groups to complete league-wide injury research projects.
• Other projects as assigned by Sr. Coordinator, Medical Administration.

Desired Skills:

• Very strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong quantitative background including experience working with large data sets and leading complex analysis
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Powerpoint)
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to manage relationships in a fast-paced business environment
• Familiarity with, and interest in, Major League Baseball, particularly in baseball medical and injury topics.

Experience:

• Undergraduate degree with strong academic performance, preferably including a focus in scientific or other quantitative coursework
• 1-2 years professional experience preferred

To Apply:
To apply, please visit this site and complete the LinkedIn application.

Position: Coordinator, Amateur Administration

Location: New York, NY

Major League Baseball is looking to hire a Coordinator, Amateur Administration in its League Economics & Operations Department. The position is full-time, and is based in New York City.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Serve as key point of contact for the MLB Draft Prospect Link (“Prospect Link”) with amateur players, parents, coaches, and MLB Clubs.
• Assist with Commissioner’s Office Pre-Draft Programs (e.g., Top 50 MRI Program, Top 300 Prospects Program, video, medical information).
• Assist with development of Prospect Link and other IT systems for collecting information related to Club domestic amateur scouting operations.
• Identify and work with technology vendors who provide data and video platforms for Club scouting operations.
• Complete analysis of domestic amateur and Rule 4 Draft topics for Commissioner’s Office and Clubs.
• Other projects as assigned by Sr. Director, League Economics.

Desired Skills:

• Very strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong quantitative background including experience working with large data sets and leading complex analysis
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Powerpoint)
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to manage relationships in a fast-paced business environment
• Familiarity with, and interest in, Major League Baseball, particularly in Rule 4 draft, scouting and amateur baseball.

Experience:

• Undergraduate degree with strong academic performance
• 1-2 years professional experience preferred

To Apply:
To apply, please visit this site and complete the LinkedIn application.

Position: Coordinator, League Economics Department

Location: New York, NY

Major League Baseball is looking to hire a Coordinator in its League Economics department. The position is full-time, and is based in New York City.

Key Responsibilities:

• Complete valuation analysis of player contracts and other analysis related to baseball labor markets
• Monitor trends in Club and Player strategy to assist in setting on-field policy and rule changes
• Oversee all duties related to Uniform Employee Contracts and the Employee Permissions process
• Serve as business customer to Commissioner’s Office baseball IT systems, ensuring data accuracy across baseball applications, managing vendors and assisting to set departmental IT strategy
• Provide analytical support to Clubs in negotiations and hearings with salary arbitration-eligible players
• Other projects as assigned by Senior Director, League Economics & Strategy

Desired Skills:

• Very strong quantitative background including experience working with large data sets and leading complex analysis
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Powerpoint)
• Experience with SQL—or other relational database platforms—and statistical modeling software (R, STATA, Python, etc.)
• Very strong written and oral communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to manage relationships in a fast-paced business environment
• Familiarity with, and interest in, Major League Baseball player rules and transactions

Experience:

• Undergraduate degree with strong academic performance, preferably including significant quantitative coursework
• 1-2 years professional experience preferred
• Experience in consulting, investment banking, information technology, or other professional services preferred

To Apply:
To apply, please visit this site and complete the LinkedIn application.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by Major League Baseball.

A year ago, Wade Miley went to camp with the Brewers as a 31-year-old minor-league free agent. He was coming off a disastrous season that saw him finish with a 128 ERA- with the Orioles. In truth, Miley wasn’t quite that bad — he also finished with an xFIP- of 106. But even 106 is unspectacular, and going into the season, expectations were modest. It wasn’t even guaranteed Miley would ever find a spot.

He wound up making 16 starts in a Brewers uniform, plus four more (technically) in the playoffs. In one sense, the Brewers got what they might’ve expected. Once again, Miley finished with an xFIP- of 106. But then, his ERA- settled at a ridiculous 63. In other words, while his xFIP- stayed exactly the same, he cut his ERA- in half. Miley finished with a better park-adjusted ERA than Corey Kluber. He finished with a better park-adjusted ERA than Gerrit Cole. He finished with a better park-adjusted ERA than Clayton Kershaw. The best and worst thing about baseball is that it doesn’t always have to make sense. Through one lens, Miley pitched as the ace of his team.

And now he’s going to take his pitching to Houston. Miley has signed with the Astros for a year and $4.5 million, with another $0.5 million in incentives. The Astros are likely to lose Dallas Keuchel. In Miley, they’re hoping to find an approximation.

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Position: Associate Quantitative Analyst

Department: Baseball Research & Development
Status: Part-Time
Reports to: Director, Quantitative Analysis
Deadline: March 1, 2019

Description:
The Los Angeles Dodgers are seeking an Associate Quantitative Analyst for the team’s Research & Development group within Baseball Operations. This position will run for 12 weeks during the 2019 MLB season.

Job Functions:

• Develop statistical/machine learning models to support player evaluation, development, and strategic decision-making
• Perform ad hoc data analysis to answer urgent questions from the front office and other groups within Baseball Operations
• Prepare reports and presentations to track progress and disseminate model/analysis results
• Collaborate with other members of the Analytics team and organizational relationship-building

Basic Requirements/Qualifications:

• Pursuing a degree in Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Operations Research, or a related quantitative field
• Knowledge of recent advances within the public baseball research community
• Experience building and validating mathematical, statistical, and/or machine learning models, preferably in Python or R
• Some computer programming experience
• Familiarity with SQL
• Proficient in Microsoft Office
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Desire to work in a collaborative team environment

When applying for this position, please include answers to following questions in your cover letter, using 500 words or fewer:

• What dates are you available for this internship?
• Based on published baseball research and blogs, what areas are worth performing further research on, and would it be beneficial to a team/players, etc. Why?
• What experience do you have building mathematical and/or statistical models?

Additionally, if you are enrolled in a university degree program, please include with your application, a complete list of the technical courses that you have taken or in which you are currently enrolled, along with course numbers and grades.

To Apply:
To apply, please visit this site and complete the application.

The Dodgers are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Please note, this posting contains three positions.

Position: Baseball Operations Analyst

Reports To: Director of Baseball Analytics
Department: Baseball Operations
Status: Full-Time/Exempt
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona

Position Summary:
The San Francisco Giants are seeking an Analyst to join the Baseball Operations department. This individual will be part of the R&D team and provide research and analysis to support the front office and player development staff. This position will also work closely with the application development team to design and develop statistical models and tools using advanced data sources within new and existing applications. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills, the ability to communicate effectively to non-technical people, and both passion and intellectual curiosity for the game of baseball.

Position Responsibilities:

• Provide statistical analysis and quantitative research to support Baseball Operations staff
• Communicate analysis to Baseball Operations staff effectively
• Research, design, and test predictive and statistical models using data and technology to support all aspects of Baseball Operations
• Collaborate with application development team to design and integrate analytic tools into existing baseball information system
• Maintain understanding of new public baseball research and emerging statistical tools, as well as all potential vendor data/technology options

Knowledge and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in computational field, such as statistics, engineering, computer science, or applied math
• Proficiency with SQL and relational databases (Microsoft SQL preferred)
• Bilingual in Spanish is a plus.
• Experience with additional programming languages (e.g. R, Python) is strongly preferred
• Understanding of statistical modeling and machine learning techniques
• Ability to communicate effectively to all members of Baseball Operations
• Passion for baseball, intellectual curiosity, and understanding of sabermetric concepts
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and travel as dictated by the baseball calendar
• Must be willing to travel extensively

To Apply:
To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume here. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2019.

Position: Data Scientist

Reports To: Director of Baseball Analytics
Department: Baseball Operations
Status: Full-Time/Exempt

Position Summary:
The San Francisco Giants are seeking a Data Scientist to join the Baseball Operations department. This individual will be part of the R&D team and develop advanced predictive models to support front office and in-game decision making. This position will also work closely with the application development team to integrate these decision-support tools into new and existing applications. The ideal candidate will possess advanced data modeling skills, the ability to communicate effectively to non-technical people, and both passion and intellectual curiosity for the game of baseball.

Position Responsibilities:

• Research, design, and test predictive and statistical models using data and technology to support all aspects of Baseball Operations
• Collaborate with application development team to design and integrate decision-support systems and tools into baseball information system
• Share technical expertise with junior members of department
• Maintain understanding of new public baseball research and emerging statistical tools, as well as all potential vendor data/technology options
• Communicate findings to Baseball Operations staff effectively
• Stay abreast of ongoing technical and baseball research

Knowledge and Skills:

• Graduate degree in computational field, such as computer science, statistics, engineering, or applied math
• Four years of work experience in mathematical, statistical, and predictive modeling
• Understanding of statistical modeling and machine learning techniques
• Expertise in programming languages (e.g. R, Python)
• Proficiency with SQL and relational databases
• Ability to communicate effectively to all members of the Baseball Operations staff
• Passion for baseball, intellectual curiosity, and understanding of sabermetric concepts

To Apply:
To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume here. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2019.

Position: Sports Science Analyst

Reports To: Director of Baseball Analytics
Department: Baseball Operations
Status: Full-Time/Exempt

Position Summary:
The San Francisco Giants are seeking a Sports Science Analyst to join the Baseball Operations department. This individual will be part of the R&D team and provide research and analysis to support the medical, training, and player development staffs. This position will also work closely with the application development team to design and develop statistical models and tools using advanced data sources within new and existing applications. The ideal candidate will possess a strong foundation with advanced training in performance science disciplines, strong analytical skills, the ability to communicate effectively to non-technical people, and both passion and intellectual curiosity for the game of baseball.

Position Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with medical and training staffs to integrate performance tracking information into sports science, injury prevention and training programs
• Collect and manage sports science data sources across the Giants organization
• Provide analysis and reporting on sports science data to optimize player performance and minimize injury risk
• Explore new sports science technologies and maintain knowledge of public research to provide innovative value to the organization
• Conduct quantitative research to support ad-hoc requests from Medical staff to improve decision-making process
• Work with application development and analytics teams to integrate data sources into internal information systems

Knowledge and Skills:

• Work experience and/or degree in analytical field, such as statistics, computer science, applied math, or engineering
• Foundational knowledge in performance science disciplines, including biomechanics, sports medicine, exercise physiology, and/or athletic training
• Experience working with large data sets
• Interest and comfort working with new performance tracking technology
• Familiarity with programming languages and concepts is a plus
• Ability to communicate effectively to all members of the Baseball Operations and Medical staffs

To Apply:
To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume here. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2019.

The Giants are an equal employment opportunity employer and consider applicants for all positions regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, medical condition or disability, genetic condition, marital status, domestic partnership status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status and any other protected class under federal, state or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, they will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the San Francisco Giants.

Do you have a slightly used, not that expensive free agent who might make a positive contribution to a ballclub in the 2019 season? Maybe a backup catcher known for handling pitchers well? A starting pitcher with a recent history of Tommy John surgery? An older reliever with a little success last season? What about an aging utility infielder who can’t seem to get any good offers? If so, the Texas Rangers are interested. In a busy offseason, the Rangers have added Jeff Mathis, Lance Lynn, Shelby Miller, Edinson Volquez, Jesse Chavez, and Asdrubal Cabrera in free agency, and Drew Smyly in a trade with the Cubs, for a combined total under $60 million, with half that total going to Lynn. The team is continuing down the same road with relievers, inking the soon-to-be 35-year-old Shawn Kelley to a one year deal worth $2.5 million, per Jeff Passan.

It’s pretty clear the Rangers aren’t aiming to compete for a division title next season. Even after adding Kelley, the Rangers projected payroll is around $113 million, more than $50 million less than it was just two seasons ago. In what is pretty clearly a transition year, Texas has amassed a cadre of players with very low floors and middle of the road ceilings. The team doesn’t need Smyly, Volquez, and Miller to work out, but if one of them did, they might have a decent player to trade at the deadline in exchange for some prospects that can help in the future. Relievers always have some value at the deadline. In fact, the team just traded the recently signed Jesse Chavez when he was on their club in July, receiving Tyler Thomas in return. The Rangers aren’t likely to get much from Tyler Thomas, but if you can acquire enough similar players, some of them are bound to work out. That brings us to Kelley.

In 2015 and 2016, Kelley was a solid reliever for the Padres and Nationals, putting up a 2.78 FIP, a 2.55 ERA, and striking out a third of the batters he faced while walking just 6% of hitters. The 2017 season didn’t go so well. Kelley missed time with lower back problems, a strained right trapezius, and bone chips in his right elbow. He only pitched 26 innings, but gave up 12 homers and both his ERA and FIP were around eight.

Last season, Kelley gave up three homers in his first eight appearances, but was mostly fine all year. From May through the end of the season, Kelley had a 3.30 FIP and 2.72 ERA. His strikeouts and velocity were down a bit, but he his fastball/slider combination got the job done. The Nationals traded him to the A’s at the deadline for international bonus pool money after Kelley lost his temper during a blowout win in an otherwise lost season. The A’s had little problem with Kelley as the righty posted an ERA and FIP both in the low-twos.

Kelley could be the valuable reliever he’s been for most of his career and net the team a prospect at the deadline. Or he might be the less-good, hurt reliever from 2017. Either way, the Rangers aren’t taking a lot of risk to find out if Kelley can still get outs.

The Chicago Cubs have made the playoffs for four straight years, getting to the National League Championship Series three times and quite famously winning it all to finish the 2016 season. Despite making the playoffs in 2018, the Brewers took the division in a tie-breaking game 163, before the Rockies got the best of the Cubs in the Wild Card game. After the disappointing defeat, the offseason has changed little about the Cubs’ 2019 outlook. The coaching staff has undergone some drastic changes with a new pitching coach, hitting coach, and bench coach. The team brought back Cole Hamels, but had to jettison the salary of Drew Smyly in the process; they failed to make a competitive offer on Jesse Chavez, a reliever they liked. Their biggest free agent addition has been that of utilityman Daniel Descalso. To top it off, the team decided to bring back Addison Russell despite his admission of domestic violence; Joe Maddon addressed the matter with fans in a way that could at best be described as clumsy.

Not much has gone well for the Cubs this offseason, but in bringing in Brad Brach for $3 million, as Ken Rosenthal reports, the club might have cheaply added a pitcher who can take some important innings for the club this season. If he does pitch well, the Cubs have an option to bring him back for 2020. With Brandon Morrow’s status uncertain and Carl Edwards, Jr. struggling near the end of the season, Chicago’s bullpen could use some help, and if Brach pitches anything like he has the past few seasons, the 33-year-old righty should provide it.

Back in 2008, Brach was drafted by the Padres in a round that no longer exists in the draft. Despite the low draft profile, Brach pitched well enough in the minors to make the majors in 2011, though he bounced up and down through the 2013 season. That winter, the Padres designated him for assignment and traded him to the Orioles for Devin Jones. Brach struck out 43 of the 101 Triple-A batters he faced in 2014 and became a useful multi-inning reliever for Baltimore that year. In 2015 and 2016, Brach reached nearly 80 innings in both seasons, striking out nearly 30% of batters and walking a third that amount.

In 2017, Brach pitched well again, filling in for injured closer Zach Britton for a time. He got off to a solid start in 2018, but a poorly timed swoon in June and July meant he had very little trade value and the Orioles were only able to pick up $250,000 in international pool money for him at the end of July. He pitched decently well for the Braves in the final two months of the season. Brach looks like a great bargain signing for a team that has decided it is allergic to spending this offseason, but there are some warning signs.

Brach’s strikeout rate has gone from nearly 30% in 2016 to 26% in 2017 to 21% last year. He’s still been able to pitch decently well by avoiding home runs, but if those numbers tick up a bit, he moves closer to being a replacement-level reliever. He’s lost a little bit off his fastball in recent seasons, which might help to explain the lower strikeout totals, though his swinging strike rate has remained solid. The Cubs should be adding a solid reliever at a low cost next season. It looks like a couple poorly timed months around the trade deadline this season might have soured some on his ability, but he still turned in a decent season overall. He is a reliever, so he might be awful, but as far as relief signings go, there’s not a lot to dislike here.

Everything here is always handled on a case-by-case basis, but there are certain free-agent contracts that get signed that just don’t rise to the threshold where we feel like it’s worthy of a post. Martin Perez recently signed one of those contracts with the Twins. Wilmer Flores recently signed one of those contracts with the Diamondbacks. Jordy Mercer signed one of those contracts with the Tigers. Matt Adams signed one of those contracts with the Nationals. Editorially, some moves have it, and some moves don’t. You sort of know them when you see them.

Interestingly enough, Nick Markakis has now signed one of those contracts with the Braves. Or, you’d think so, based on the terms — Markakis will make $4 million in 2019, and then there’s a $6-million club option for 2020, with a $2-million buyout. This is in that money range where we frequently ignore the transaction. But Markakis is again going to be a regular player. And he’s also coming off a year in which he made the All-Star Game for the first time in his 13-season career. It’s almost impossible to suggest the Braves aren’t getting a team-friendly deal. Markakis was evidently willing to take a discount. This just isn’t the impact move Braves fans have been looking for. It’s re-signing a 35-year-old Nick Markakis.

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Sources tell FanGraphs that earlier today, Cuban defector shortstop Yolbert Sanchez was cleared by MLB to sign with clubs starting on February 5. He’s scheduled to hold private workouts in the Dominican Republic later this week. According to Francys Romero, Sanchez and fellow Cuban Jorge Tartabull left Cuba in June. Sanchez resurfaced in the Dominican Republic in the last 3-5 weeks, according to scouts. Very few decision-making evaluators have seen him recently, but that’s expected to change between now and February 5. Sanchez has been scouted in international tournaments (the video embedded below is of Sanchez playing for Industriales in Cuba’s top pro league), so scouts do have some history with him.

Sanchez, and the timing of his free agency, are notable for two reasons. First, he’s an older prospect who will be paid from a team’s international bonus pool, money normally spent on 16-year-old prospects who don’t even play regular pro games until almost a year after signing. Compared to most other prospects acquired this way, Sanchez, who turns 22 in March, is less risky and should have a quicker timeline to the big leagues. Second, the Baltimore Orioles have by far the most international pool money left of any team, as they’ve spent little of their initial $5.5 million bonus pool, and might have over $6 million in space after trading for additional pool space. We’re unsure of the precise amounts, but believe the Dodgers, Cubs, and Phillies to have the most pool space remaining behind Baltimore, though all three are thought to have less than $3 million in space, leaving the Orioles with a potentially significant amount of breathing room between themselves and the nearest competition. Sanchez is seen by scouts as a $2-4 million type prospect.

After missing out on the last consensus seven-figure prospects on the market in current Rays prospect RHP Sandy Gaston and current Marlins prospect CF Victor Victor Mesa, who last showcased and then signed in October, some speculated the Orioles would be forced to sign several prospects in the $100,000-to-$500,000 per player bonus range in order to use their full pool space, which they already began doing before the new front office regime was put in place.

The Orioles had to be hoping a player like Sanchez would come along before this signing period closes on June 15, 2019, allowing new GM Mike Elias to add a premium individual talent to the farm system. Sources speculated to us that clubs that have not yet verbally allocated most of their 2019 signing pool can offer Sanchez millions and hope he waits a few more months to sign, though this may be a means of trying to keep Baltimore honest and force them to use most of their pool to sign Sanchez, rather than offering an amount that’s slightly more than the club with the second-highest remaining 2018 international bonus pool.

Sanchez draws mixed reviews for his offensive potential, but scouts agree he has above average-to-plus running, fielding, and throwing tools, and he will stick at shortstop. The Orioles took two shortstops with their Rule 5 Draft picks in December and the position is seen as an organizational weakness at the upper levels for the rebuilding club.

If we consider 2018 performance and 2019 projections, the Texas Rangers signing Asdrubal Cabrera for one year and $3.5 million might be the biggest bargain a team got for a player taking a one-year deal. Ken Rosenthal had the news first, with Jeff Passan coming through with the contract. After five playoff appearances in seven years from 2010 through 2016, the Rangers fell to third place in 2017, then cut $30 million in payroll last season on their way to a last place campaign. The team appears to be cutting even more this season, but has made a handful of interesting cheaper, short-term moves, adding Lance Lynn, Drew Smyly, Shelby Miller, and Jesse Chavez. We can add Asdrubal Cabrera to that list.

In our list of Top 50 free agents, Cabrera ranked 27th, just behind Andrew Miller and ahead of Zach Britton. Kiley McDaniel thought Cabrera was in line for a two-year deal worth $16 million; the crowd agreed on the length though had him making a couple million dollars more per season. Eric Longenhagen described Cabrera like this:

The advent of fluid defensive positioning has enabled aging infielders to stay at shortstop longer, and Cabrera, who has plus hands and arm strength but quickly dwindling lateral range, is among them. Fold in a resilient, well-rounded offensive profile, and Cabrera still has value as a multi-positional infielder despite some clear deficiencies. He’s amassed about 2.5 annual WAR during the last half-decade and will continue getting short-term deals until his bat declines beneath playability.

In Texas, Elvis Andrus plays shortstop and Rougned Odor plays second base, leaving Cabrera as the best option at third. Cabrera’s positional flexibility leaves open the possibility that 27-year-old Patrick Wisdom could still earn his way to playing time and allow Cabrera to move around the diamond, but the more likely scenario is that Cabrera simply makes third base his home. Defensively, that’s is probably his best position, as he lacks the range to play shortstop regularly and range is less of an issue at third base compared to second.

Most teams already have decent third basemen. and the market was full of second basemen this offseason, so it is possible that Cabrera’s declining range hurt in terms of opportunities. He did struggle offensively after his trade from the Mets to the Phillies, but we are talking about under 200 plate appearances. On the season, Cabrera put up a 111 wRC+, nearly matching his 112 mark from the previous season. Factoring in a little decline, Cabrera should be average or better offensively and about the same defensively at third base. The Rangers just made themselves two wins better with barely any investment. If he plays well, the team should be able to trade him for a prospect who might help them down the line.

In October, we asked you what contracts you expected Bryce Harper and Manny Machado to sign. Months later, Harper and Machado are still looking for an employer, and so on Wednesday, we asked you about the contracts again. The idea was to see whether the community has lost a little faith in the agents or the market. Do you still see the same big contracts, or do you expect smaller terms? What have you made of all the recent reports?

As you all know, you are (probably) not Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Scott Boras, or Dan Lozano. This is just a fun exercise that means literally nothing in the end. But, it might not surprise you to learn that FanGraphs readers don’t see quite the same dollars anymore. After running the project again yesterday, we’ve received thousands of entries, so everything ought to be stabilized. The results are posted in the table below.

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