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The award capped a bountiful year for Neander
and the Rays. Tampa Bay finished the regular season 96-66 for
the seventh-best record in the majors, captured an AL wild-card
berth, then knocked out the Oakland Athletics in the wild-card
game. The Rays took the Houston Astros to a decisive Game 5
before losing in the American League Division Series.
Neander shaped the playoff contender with a bevy of signings and
trades over the past couple seasons. He brought in right-hander
Charlie Morton and outfielder Avisail Garcia via free agency,
and he turned to the trade market to grab infielder Yandy Diaz
and relief pitcher Emilio Pagan.
The Rays improved during the season by acquiring catcher Travis
d'Arnaud, who hit 16 homers in 92 games for Tampa Bay, and
right-hander Nick Anderson, who struck out 41 batters in 21 1/3
innings for his new team. The Rays also acquired first baseman
Jesus Aguilar and infielder Eric Sogard to position themselves
for a postseason run.
The 36-year-old Neander also made an impact over the previous
couple seasons. He pulled off a trade with the Pittsburgh
Pirates in 2018 that brought in right-hander Tyler Glasnow and
outfielder Austin Meadows, and he seized a chance to acquire
Tommy Pham from the St. Louis Cardinals' crowded outfield.
Neander, a Virginia Tech graduate, has worked in the Rays'
organization for the past 13 seasons.
"I am both humbled and honored to be recognized by Major League
Baseball and the executives who voted on the award," Neander
said in a statement released by the team. "This recognition
deserves to be shared across our entire staff, as well as the
players who left it all on the field. It's our collective
commitment that allows something like this to be possible. While
we fell short of our ultimate on-field goal in 2019, I am proud
of our progress and we'll do all we can to build upon that in
the coming years."
The New York Yankees' Brian Cashman finished second to Neander
in the Executive of the Year voting while 2018 winner Billy
Beane of the A's and Derek Falvey of the Minnesota Twins tied
for third.
--Field Level Media
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