Today the Chicago Cubs added to their impressive front office brain trust with another up-and-comer: Scott Harris.
Harris, 25, comes over after two years as the Coordinator of Major League Operations in the Commissioner’s Office. Before that, he was an intern with the Reds and Nationals. He’s working on an MBA from Columbia, too. Take notes ye desirers of a front office job.
The Director of Baseball Operations – formerly Scott Nelson – wears a variety of hats, including the administrative portion of managing the 40-man roster (like, making sure all of the rules are followed properly), as well as handling other administrative tasks throughout the organization. I get the sense that it tends to be a lower-level front office position (as in, lower than a GM or an Assistant GM), but one that is definitely a part of the front office, if that makes sense. It seems to be a variable position, depending on how the guys at the top want to use your skills.
The position, it seems, is often filled by a young up-and-comer, at least if Theo Epstein’s experience is any guide – before taking over the Red Sox, Epstein made his bones as the Director of Baseball Operations for San Diego under Larry Lucchino.
Best of luck to Harris, and it will be interesting to watch his development in the Cubs’ organization. It seems strange to use that sentence about a front office executive rather than a prospect, but I guess he’s kind of like a front office prospect.
Wonder where his waiver claim tool falls on the scouting scale?