Rays promote Neander, reach multiyear deal

The Rays agreed to a multiyear extension with Erik Neander on Wednesday and named him president of baseball operations, promoting him from his previous title of general manager/senior vice president and ensuring that their top baseball operations official will remain right where he wants to be.

Neander, 38, began his tenure with the Rays as a baseball operations intern in 2007, was hired full-time later that year and has worked for Tampa Bay ever since. This is his fourth season as the organization’s top-ranking baseball official, and during that time he’s overseen the creation of a Major League roster that is once again among the best in the American League, along with a Minor League system that ranks among the best in baseball.

“It was a dream opportunity then, and it’s a dream opportunity now,” Neander said on a Zoom call Wednesday evening. “There’s been plenty of mistakes and misfires and growth along the way, but also a lot of wins. And I think with this, I can guarantee that the mistakes and the growth will certainly continue, and it’s our goal and belief that our collective efforts will lead to our best wins still being ahead of us.”