ST. PETERSBURG — General manager Peter Bendix is leaving the Rays to take over as head of baseball operations for the Marlins.
An official announcement could come as soon as Monday.
Bendix, 38, served as general manager since a December 2021 promotion. He has been with the Rays since joining as an intern in January 2009, working his way up to assistant of baseball operations, coordinator of baseball research and development, director and then later vice president of baseball development. He also oversaw the baseball systems team.
As general manager (and senior vice president of baseball operations), Bendix led much of the day-to-day operation of the major-league team, along with roster management and player procurement and evaluation, working under Erik Neander, president of baseball operations.
At the time of Bendix’s December 2021 promotion to general manager, Neander said: “Pete has grown up in this organization, and I look forward to having him develop into an interchangeable partner, most notably with our major-league club.”
Bendix is the latest high-ranking executive to be hired away from the Rays to run another team, a group that includes Andrew Friedman (Dodgers), James Click (Astros) and Chaim Bloom (Red Sox). Matt Arnold left the Rays to be assistant general manager of the Brewers and is now GM. Click and Bloom have since left their posts.
The Rays typically promote from within for replacements.
With the Marlins, Bendix takes over a team that has been run most recently by Kim Ng, who declined to exercise her mutual contract option for 2024 when informed the team would hire a head of baseball operations above her. Derek Jeter and Michael Hill preceded Ng.
Also:
• Taylor Walls lost out on the American League Gold Glove at the utility position to Houston’s Maurico Dubon. Walls, who played shortstop as well as second and third base, was the only Rays nominee. Three former Rays were among the AL winners: centerfielder Kevin Kiermaier, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, catcher Jonah Heim.
• The Rays will know by Monday afternoon if any of the six players they placed on outright waivers last week were claimed for the $50,000 fee. If not, catcher Christian Bethancourt, infielder Tristan Gray, outfielder Raimel Tapia and pitchers Jalen Beeks, Josh Fleming and Cole Sulser are likely to become free agents, reducing the 40-man roster to 31. That includes Wander Franco, who was reinstated in a procedural move with his status to return to playing still uncertain.
The Rays need space to reinstate the seven players on the 60-day injured list (pitchers Shane Baz, Garrett Cleavinger, Calvin Faucher, Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs; infielder Greg Jones) on Monday and next week to add prospects for protection from the Rule 5 draft
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