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. 20: Starting in Minor League Baseball Befor...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand sits down with Nationals Assistant GM and Vice President Bob Miller to describe the unique Trea Turner trade, shed some light on his time building contenders with the D-backs and Reds, and explain how he got his start in Minor League baseball a full decade before earning his college degree.
29 min
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Ep. 19: Drafting Kershaw, Bellinger and Seager
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand chats with Padres Senior Advisor to the GM, Logan White who oversaw the Dodgers’ amateur scouting when Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager were drafted as well as LA’s international scouting when the team signed Yasiel Puig and Hyun-Jin Ryu. White, who left the Dodgers’ front office to become the Padres’ Director of Player Personnel in 2014, discusses how the Dodgers acquired those stars and his view of the Padres’ path to contention. 
51 min
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Ep. 18: Why Young Executives Should Work in the...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand sits down with Mets Senior Vice President, Baseball Operations & Assistant General Manager John Ricco to discuss why he encourages all young executives to work in the commissioner’s office, how he’s made a career out of handling the unglamorous side of front office work and what he sees as the next advancements in player scouting and development.
40 min
54
Ep. 17: The First Player Option
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand talks with Phillies President Andy MacPhail to explain how he created the first-ever player option to sign Jack Morris, why he still regrets trading Tom Brunansky for Tom Herr and what Philadelphia fans can expect in the years to come.
51 min
55
Ep. 16: How Analytics Impacts All Aspects of th...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand talks with Astros Senior Director of Baseball Operations, Research and Innovation Brandon Taubman about how the use of analytics has impacted all aspects of the game. Also, why he challenges himself to interact more with players and on-field staff, and how his journey from business to baseball started at a bowling alley.
33 min
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Ep. 15: Transition from Finance to Baseball
On Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand chats with Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman about transitioning from finance to baseball, the unique challenges of working in one of baseball’s biggest markets and whether he’s gotten over Game 7 of last year’s World Series.
31 min
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Ep. 14: How does a team prepare for the MLB Draft?
On Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand is joined by former Mets GM Jim Duquette and MLB Pipeline’s Jonathan Mayo to help understand how a team narrows down their draft board as well as how much the current Major League roster dictates the team’s strategy
37 min
58
Ep. 13: Being Classmates with Tiger Woods
On Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand sits down with A’s President Dave Kaval to discuss his time in the Office of the President of the United States, on being classmates with Tiger Woods at Stanford, and why keeping the A’s in Oakland is crucial for the Bay Area as well as the success of the organization
33 min
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Ep. 12: Overseeing a Pro Scouting Staff
On Executive Access podcast, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand sits down with Reds vice president of Baseball Operations and GM Nick Krall during Spring Training to discuss his tenure overseeing Cincinnati’s pro scouting staff that acquired players like Luis Castillo and Adam Duvall, the lesson he learned when Walt Jocketty acquired Scott Rolen and much more. 
37 min
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Ep. 11: What is Super Two status and why does i...
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand and Jim Duquette explore the meaning of the term Super Two status and discuss the process that a GM uses to determine when to bring a touted young player to the big leagues, including the player’s MLB readiness and the team’s roster needs and much more.
35 min
61
Ep. 10: Analytics vs. Scouting Debate
On the Executive Access podcast, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand chats with Brewers Assistant General Manager Matt Arnold to discuss his career, the analytics vs scouting debate, his memories of Tampa Bay’s famous Game 162 and much more.
34 min
62
Ep. 9: Starting in the Cape Cod League
On the Executive Access podcast, Twins executive vice president and chief baseball officer Derek Falvey sits with MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand to discuss his start in the Cape Cod League, memories of facing his former mentor’s Blue Jays team in the 2016 ALCS and much more.
42 min
63
Ep. 8: Getting Advice from Bill Belichick
On the Executive Access podcast, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein sits down with MLB.com's Mark Feinsand to discuss building World Series winners in both Boston and Chicago, as well as the advice he received from New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Big Papi asking for a trade in 2003, how the Red Sox almost hired Joe Maddon instead of Terry Francona, and much more.
51 min
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Ep. 7: The Barry Bonds era
On the Executive Access podcast, Giants Executive Vice President Brian Sabean recently sat down with MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand to discuss dealing with criticism, the Barry Bonds era, his successful run with manager Bruce Bochy and much more.
46 min
65
Ep. 6: Choosing Baseball Over Football
On the Executive Access podcast, White Sox Executive Vice President Ken Williams joins Mark Feinsand to discuss how he ultimately chose baseball over football, his transition to the front office and his experience building the White Sox’s championship team in 2005.
49 min
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Ep. 5: Transition from All-Star Player to the F...
On the Executive Access podcast, former Orioles legend and current VP of baseball operations Brady Anderson joins Mark Feinsand to discuss the transition from an all-star baseball career to the front office and why he still likes to stand in the batters box against Major League pitchers. 
35 min
67
Ep. 4: Front Office Executive Career Path
On the Executive Access podcast, Blue Jays VP of baseball operations Ben Cherington joins Mark Feinsand to discuss the opportunity to work with the Blue Jays and his career path as a front office executive in Major League Baseball.
51 min
68
Ep. 3: Why fans think they can run a Major Leag...
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand sits down with Cardinals vice president and general manager Michael Girsch to discuss his business background, why fans think they can run Major League teams better than those that actually do, how the Albert Pujols free agent negotiations literally made him sick to his stomach and much, much more.
41 min
69
Ep. 2: Techniques to Recruiting Free Agents
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand sits down with Braves executive vice president and general manager Alex Anthopoulos to discuss growing up in Montreal and starting his career opening fan mail for the Expos, his ascent through the Blue Jays organization, then we’ll hit on some free-agent recruiting techniques, his Olympic experience with the Greeks and much, much more.
51 min
70
Ep. 1: Becoming a Part Owner of a Team
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand sits down with Marlins CEO Derek Jeter to discuss the future Hall of Famer’s path to becoming a part owner of a team, why he chose to embark on this next phase of his career and much, much more.
23 min
71
Teaser: Executive Access
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand discusses launching a new podcast in 2018 called Executive Access where he will sit down with front-office personnel from around Major League Baseball to provide a unique look at the men and women charged with putting together the teams that we all root for on the field.
1 min