Rob Manfred Makes Sweeping Changes In MLB's Executive Leadership, Front Office

MLB Commissioner ROB MANFRED has started a "sweeping reorganization that unifies the league office," MLBAM and MLB Network into "one entity" and elevates COO TONY PETITTI and Chief Legal Officer DAN HALEM , according to Eric Fisher of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Petitti will become Deputy Commissioner/Business & Media, while Halem has been named Deputy Commissioner/Baseball Administration. Also, Exec VP/League Economics & Strategy  CHRIS MARINAK becomes Exec VP/Strategy, Technology & Innovation. Those three will be part of a "five-person senior team of executives reporting directly" to Manfred, along with Chief Communications Officer PAT COURTNEY and CFO BOB STARKEY , who "adds direct oversight of finance operations for MLBAM and MLB Network" ( SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/11 issue ). MLB also gave CHRIS PARK the title of Exec VP/Product & Marketing and NOAH GARDEN Exec VP/Commerce. JASON GAEDTKE remains CTO, and JOE TORRE keeps the title of Chief Baseball Officer ( THE DAILY ).