Michael Hill, left, will be in charge of oversee umpires and on-field discipline in his new role with Major League Baseball. Matt York/Associated Press
NEW YORK — Longtime baseball operations executive Michael Hill and former All-Star Raul Ibañez were named senior vice presidents of on-field operations by Major League Baseball on Monday.
Hill takes over from Chris Young, who stayed just one season in the role of Joe Torre’s replacement as Major League Baseball’s disciplinarian. He was hired Monday as a senior vice president of on-field operations and will oversee umpires and on-field discipline. Ibanez will be involved in rules, equipment and on-field technology while contributing to scouting and amateur baseball initiatives.
Former pitcher Joe Martinez was hired as senior director of on-field strategy, former outfielder outfielder Rajai Davis as senior director of on-field operations and former Houston manager Bo Porter as a consultant on coaching development.
Hill and Ibanez will report to executive vice president of baseball operations Morgan Sword, and Martinez will report to vice president of baseball economics Reed MacPhail.
The 49-year-old Hill spent 19 seasons with the Marlins, the last six as president of baseball operations, when CEO Derek Jeter announced in October that Miami was allowing Hill’s contract to expire without a new deal. He was captain of the baseball team at Harvard, where he was graduated in 1993.
Appeals of on-field discipline decisions will continue to be heard by John McHale Jr., a special assistant to baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred.
Young, a pitcher who retired after the 2017 season, joined MLB in May 2018 as vice president of on-field operations, initiatives and strategy, and he was promoted last February to senior vice president when Torre shifted to a role as special assistant to the commissioner. Young left in December to become general manager of the Texas Rangers, his hometown team.
Ibanez, 48, hit .272 with 305 homers and 1,207 RBI in 19 major league seasons with Seattle (1996-2000, 2004-08, 2013), Kansas City (2001-03, 2014), Philadelphia (2009-11), the New York Yankees (2012) and the Los Angeles Angeles (2014). He was a 2009 All-Star and was hired by the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2016 as a special assistant.
Martinez, who turns 38 on Feb. 26, will coordinate the management of experimental rule and equipment changes, support the competition committee and be a liaison to on-field personnel.
THEO EPSTEIN: Major League Baseball consultant Theo Epstein was hired Monday by a financial firm that advises on investments in sports teams. Arctos Sports said Monday that Epstein will be an executive in residence involved in sourcing, underwriting, diligence and product development. He will keep his MLB job.
Epstein has said he would not take a job with a baseball team for the 2021 season. MLB hired him last month as a consultant for on-field matters who will evaluate possible rule changes. He will work with Commissioner Rob Manfred, the owners’ competition committee and analytics experts.
Epstein was the Red Sox general manager from 2003-11, putting together the team that won the 2004 World Series for the Boston’s first title since 1918, and then another championship team in 2007.
He became the Cubs’ president of baseball operations from 2012-20 and guided Chicago to the 2016 World Series title, the team’s first since 1908.
INDIANS: The Cleveland Indians will not be allowing fans to watch their spring training workouts in Arizona due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The team said Monday that per MLB guidelines, the club’s player development complex in Goodyear, Arizona, will not be open to fans. Cleveland’s facility is adjacent to one for the Cincinnati Reds.
There has not yet been a decision on whether fans will be able to attend spring training games. The Indians said Goodyear city officials are working with MLB to determine a fan policy.
Players are expected to report to Arizona in two weeks.
TICKET SALES for St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins spring training games in Jupiter, Florida, has been delayed because of uncertainty about the schedule for games.
Major League Baseball last week proposed a one-month delay in starting spring training due to the coronavirus pandemic. Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter earlier had announced it would begin selling spring training tickets for the Cardinals and Marlins on Monday. It’s now uncertain when sales might begin.
TIGERS: Left-hander Derek Holland agreed Monday to a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers and was invited to major league spring training.
The 34-year-old is 79-81 with a 4.61 ERA in 12 major league seasons. He went 1-3 with a 6.86 ERA in 12 appearances, including five starts, for the Pittsburgh Pirates last year – after initially signing a minor league deal with them.
Holland went 16-5 with Texas in 2011, when the Rangers won a second straight American League pennant.
TRADE: Right-hander Jordan Yamamoto was acquired by the New York Mets from the Miami Marlins on Monday for minor league infielder Federico Polanco.
The 24-year-old Yamamoto was 4-5 with a 4.46 ERA in 15 starts in 2019, striking out 82 and walking 36 in 78 2/3 innings. He was 0-1 with an 18.26 ERA in 11 1/3 innings over three starts and one relief appearance during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Yamaamoto had a $565,000 salary in the majors last year and $173,368 in the minors, and he earned $98,849 in prorated pay.
The 19-year-old Polanco has hit .244 in 450 at-bats in two minor league seasons with 20 doubles and 50 RBI. He split 2019 between the Dominican Summer League and the Gulf Coast League.
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