Executive Access

MLB.com executive reporter Mark Feinsand provides a unique look at the people building our favorite teams by engaging in candid interviews with front-office personnel from around Major League Baseball. How they got into the game, why they do what they do, how they envision the future of baseball and much, much more. Listen to or download individual episodes below, subscribe via iTunes or use your RSS reader so you never miss a single episode.

Sports
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Ep 46: How to sign a superstar at the Winter Me...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand details some of the most historic transactions that took place at the Winter Meetings. Longtime Rangers beat reporter T.R. Sullivan discusses the historic contract Alex Rodriguez signed with Texas in 2000. Boston Globe reporter Peter Abraham explains why the Red Sox signed Carl Crawford to a 7-year deal in 2010. MLB.com’s Matthew Leach recalls when Albert Pujols shunned the Cardinals to sign a 10-year deal with the Angels in 2011. Yankees beat reporter Bryan Hoch chronicles the 2008 Winter Meetings and how Brian Cashman got CC Sabathia to come to the Bronx. Plus, Tigers beat reporter Jason Beck details how Dave Dombrowski was able to trade for Miguel Cabrera from the Marlins during the 2007 Winter Meetings.
61 min
27
Ep. 45: Mike Elias on getting Baltimore back to...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand sits down with Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias on how his time working for the Cardinals and Astros has prepared him for a successful rebuild in Baltimore, what he saw in Carlos Correa in the 2012 Draft and how he envisions the Orioles front office to look in 2020 and beyond.
59 min
28
Ep. 44: Building a champion around homegrown pl...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand chats with Royals Vice President/Assistant General Manager Scott Sharp on how instrumental player development was in KC’s back-to-back World Series appearances in 2014 and 2015 and how his time playing in the Minors helped shape his outlook in the Front Office.
32 min
29
Ep. 43: How a baseball writer joined the Front ...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand sits down with Rangers Assistant GM, Josh Boyd on his unlikely journey from a baseball writer to the front office, how scouts still play an instrumental role in acquiring talent, and how the Rangers landed Yu Darvish when he came over from Japan.
42 min
30
Ep. 41: Deadline decisions with Dan O'Dowd
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand sits down with MLB Network analyst and former Rockies General Manager Dan O'Dowd to discuss a club's approach to the Trade Deadline, including, the importance of personal relationships and the role of social media in the negotiation process. Plus, he breaks down several key trades during his time in Colorado. 
38 min
31
Ep. 40: Creating a winning culture in Colorado
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand sits down with Rockies assistant GM of baseball operations Zack Rosenthal to discuss his climb to the top of Colorado's front office, working alongside Dan O'Dowd, and the importance of team culture. Plus, his favorite memories from the Rockies World Series run in 2007.
46 min
32
Ep: 39: The Rays employ cutting-edge research i...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand sits down with Rays VP of baseball operations James Click to discuss the evolution of analytics in baseball, the arbitration process and what he's learned from Andrew Friedman. 
50 min
33
Ep.38: How the Cubs used the Draft to power a c...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand sits down with Cubs senior VP of player development and amateur scouting Jason McLeod to discuss the Draft process, working alongside Theo Epstein and his future goals in the game. Plus, what it’s like to be one of the rare few who have won historic championships with both the Red Sox and Cubs.
51 min
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Ep. 37: Rising the ranks with the Red Sox
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand sits down with Red Sox senior VP and assistant GM Zack Scott to discuss how a chance encounter with Theo Epstein changed his career forever, the role of analytics in the game and what it's like working around Bill James.
49 min
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Ep. 36: Building a ballclub to compete in the A...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand sits down with Giants Special Advisor J.P. Ricciardi to discuss his decision to join Farhan Zaidi in SF, how his relationships with Sandy Alderson and Billy Beane have influenced his career, the ups and downs of his time in Toronto and if he'd ever return to Boston to work for his hometown team. 
42 min
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Ep. 35: The makings of Moneyball
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand sits down with Athletics Executive Vice President Billy Beane to discuss his three decades with the club, the book that made him a household name and how the game has changed since his playing days.
55 min
37
Ep. 34: Anthopoulos, Rick Hahn, Dayton Moore an...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB Network's Brian Kenny and former GM Dan O'Dowd are joined by Braves executive VP and general manager Alex Anthopoulos, White Sox senior VP/general manager Rick Hahn, senior VP - baseball operations/general manager Dayton Moore and general manager and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo in a roundtable discussion detailing the ever-changing dynamics of the baseball front office, how their staffs have evolved over the years and the special relationship a GM has with his manager. This special edition of the Business of Baseball is presented by CohnReznick.
67 min
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Ep. 33: What Actually Happens at the Winter Mee...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand details four very different aspects of the annual Winter Meetings. Former Mets and Orioles executive Jim Duquette details the dynamics of the GM's suite and the difficulty of finding a quiet place to talk with other GMs. Meanwhile, Founder and President of O'Connell Sports Management Tom O'Connell describes the process an agent goes through to meet with several different clubs in a very short period of time in order to successfully pitch his free agents. Draft expert for MLB Pipeline Jonathan Mayo examines the significance of the Rule 5 Draft and its role in the Winter Meetings. MLB Network and MLB.com national reporter Jon Paul Morosi breaks down the art of chasing a lead while waiting for the elevator with team executives.
56 min
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Ep. 32: Three different paths to develop a succ...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand chats with three members of different front offices detailing the art of developing a successful Major League player. Tigers VP and assistant GM David Chadd discusses the importance of scouting and details the successes he’s had winning championships with the Marlins and Red Sox. Mariners director of player development Andy McKay discusses how the makeup of a successful player is 100% mental. Rockies director of pitching operations Mark Wiley explains the organizational phrase “attitude over altitude” and how pitchers can overcome outside obstacles to thrive in the Majors.
38 min
40
Ep. 31: Scouting and developing the Internation...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand chats with Rangers Assistant GM, Major League Operation and International Scouting Mike Daly to discuss how he identified future big leaguers like Josh Tomlin during his early scouting days, overseeing Texas’ Minor League operations while the club signed players like Nomar Mazara and Rougned Odor and much more. 
36 min
41
Ep. 30: Building a winning culture with the Rays
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand sits down with Rays senior VP of baseball operations Chaim Bloom to discuss the surprising ways being a Latin classics major has helped during his front office career, what it feels like to tell a player he's been traded, and much more
30 min
42
Ep. 29: Describing the moment when the Angels s...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand chats with Angels assistant GM Jonathan Strangio to discuss the increasing influence of Ivy Leaguers in MLB front offices, appreciating the talents of Mike Trout on a daily basis, and the Angels' intense (and successful) pursuit of Shohei Ohtani last offseason.
30 min
43
Ep. 28: Building a small-market team into a con...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand sits down with Pirates president Frank Coonelly to discuss why he’s confident teams with smaller payrolls can compete for World Series titles, the difficulty of trading franchise icon Andrew McCutchen and how Pittsburgh has locked up key players like Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco to long-term contracts.
39 min
44
Ep. 27: What the Yankees front office saw in Di...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand chats with Yankees VP of baseball operations Tim Naehring to discuss his tenure with Cincinnati, overseeing the development of players, including Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Johnny Cueto, why it’s important for analytics-minded front offices to also include former players and what he saw in Didi Gregorius as a potential successor to Derek Jeter.
42 min
45
Ep. 26: Two seconds to spare, how the Astros la...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand looks back on the franchise-altering trade for the Astros as they acquired Justin Verlander from the Tigers just before the August 31 Waiver Trade Deadline. Houston starter Dallas Keuchel revisits the frustration in the Astros’ clubhouse after the front office declined to make a splash acquisition in July. General manager Jeff Luhnow recounts the minute-by-minute negotiations of a complicated transaction that nearly fell through several times. Finally, Verlander himself explains his decision to accept a move to Houston with only minutes to spare.
34 min
46
Ep. 25: How a local Boston kid grew up to run t...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand chats with Red Sox President and CEO Sam Kennedy to discuss growing up in the shadows of Fenway Park with Theo Epstein, the unique challenges and opportunities of running a team in Boston, Fenway Sports Management’s work with Lebron James and much more.
44 min
47
Ep. 24: Handing out the Largest Contract in Fra...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand sits down with D-backs president and CEO Derrick Hall to discuss his tenure as a morning talk show host in Los Angeles, explain why he always keeps a box of D-backs hats in his car and describe the thought process behind handing Zack Greinke the largest contract in franchise history. 
37 min
48
Ep. 23: The Royals' Golden Generation
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand chats with Royals VP/Assistant General Manager J.J. Picollo to share his memories of the Royals’ golden generation from their time in the Minor Leagues, how a championship makes it easier to teach baseball’s fundamentals, and much more.
34 min
49
Ep. 22: How a GM approaches the Trade Deadline
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand is joined by former Mets and Orioles executive Jim Duquette who explains why some negotiations succeed when others fail and to tell a few stories from his own wheeling and dealing days – including the tale of a proposed three-team swap that would have sent Roy Oswalt to Texas, Miguel Tejada to Houston, and Brandon McCarthy to Baltimore.
52 min
50
Ep. 21: Lessons from being a Georgetown Basketb...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand chats with Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti on what he learned as a student manager for John Thompson's Georgetown basketball team, why he once turned down a job with the Miami Heat and how far the use of analytics has come during his tenure.
32 min