PRESIDENT, BASEBALL OPERATIONS
Erik Neander (nee-ANN-der) was named president, baseball operations on Sep 8, 2021 and enters his sixth season as the club’s top-ranking baseball official. As the leader of baseball operations, Erik collaborates with all areas of the department to set the vision and expectations for the entire operation. In addition to working to sustain a people-first culture, he directly oversees functional areas, including player evaluation and procurement, the major league coaching and support staff, and roster and staff management. Neander, 40, begins his 18th season in the Rays organization. He joined the Rays as a baseball operations intern in January 2007 and was hired full-time in October 2007. He was later promoted to manager, baseball research and development in November 2009, director of baseball operations in November 2011, vice president of baseball operations in October 2014 and senior vice president of baseball operations and general manager on Nov 4, 2016. One year later, Matt Silverman shifted to team president after a three-year stretch as president of baseball operations. With Neander as the club’s top-ranking baseball official, the Rays have made the postseason in four consecutive seasons, extending the longest streak in team history. The Rays are one of six teams in the majors to make the postseason each year from 2019-22, joining the Astros, Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers and Yankees. Under Neander over the past four seasons, the Rays own the 4th-best record in baseball at 322-224 (.590). He and his group assembled a club that finished with the best record in the AL in both 2020 and 2021. In 2021, the Rays went 100-62 and set a club record for wins in a single season. For the second time in three years (2019), the Rays were recognized as Baseball America’s Organization of the Year. In the shortened 2020 season, Erik assembled a team that went 40-20 and reached the World Series. In 2019, the team’s accomplishments earned industry acclaim for both Neander and the organization. Erik was selected by his peers as Major League Baseball’s Executive of the Year and earned a similar honor from the Sporting News. Of the current 40-man roster and 60-day IL, 31 players have been acquired since Erik was appointed the club’s top-ranking baseball official (and 22 via trade). In December 2022, Neander signed Zach Eflin to a three-year, $40 million deal, the largest by total value in franchise history for a free agent. Among the trade acquisitions are starting pitchers Shane Baz, Tyler Glasnow, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs, as well as 2021 AL Rookie of the Year Randy Arozarena, Jalen Beeks, Christian Bethancourt, Garrett Cleavinger, Yandy Díaz, Pete Fairbanks, Manuel Margot, Isaac Paredes, Colin Poche, Harold Ramírez and Jose Siri. In November 2021, Erik signed Wander Franco to an 11-year contract through 2032, including a club option for 2033. The contract represented the largest commitment to a player in the history of the franchise and the largest in major league history for a player with less than a year of major league service time. The Rays enter the 2023 season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 6 farm system in the game, the sixth consecutive season they have placed among the preseason’s top 10 systems. The publication placed six Rays prospects on its preseason top 100 list: Shane Baz (No. 31), Curtis Mead (No. 35), Taj Bradley (No. 44), Carson Williams (No. 52), Kyle Manzardo (No. 60) and Jonathan Aranda (No. 96). Prior to joining the Rays, Erik worked for Baseball Info Solutions. The Oneonta, N.Y. native graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s of science in food, nutrition and exercise. He and his wife, Jessica, reside in Tampa with their sons, Penn and Corbin; daughter, Eden; and their rescue animals.