REPORT: Guardians Add Rays Staff Member To Front Office

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Cleveland has hired Tampa Bay Pitching Strategist Bobby Kinne as its new Director of Baseball Operations.

A ball cap sports the Cleveland Guardians logo in the third inning of the MLB Inter-league game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Guardians at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. / Sam Greene / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK

Last week, the Cleveland Guardians announced their on-field coaching staff for the 2025 season.

However, the reigning American League Central Champions have reportedly made an addition to their front office staff.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Guardians have hired Bobby Kinne as their new Director of Baseball Operations.

Bobby Kinne leaving Rays to become Guardians director of baseball operations, sources tell @TheAthletic. Had been Rays’ major league pitching strategist.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 19, 2024

The 29-year-old Kinne spent the previous seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, most recently serving as their pitching strategist this year.

A ball cap sports the Cleveland Guardians logo in the third inning of the MLB Inter-league game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Guardians at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. / Sam Greene / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK

He initially served as a baseball operations intern for Tampa Bay in 2018. Then, he was a replay and advance scouting assistant for the Rays from 2019 to 2021, before serving as their Coordinator of Major League Operations in 2022 and 2023.

As for his playing career, Kinne had a productive four seasons at Division III Vassar College (NY) from 2015 to 2018.

As an infielder, he hit .332 with 136 hits, 24 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 76 RBI, 27 stolen bases, a .413 on-base percentage, and an .881 OPS. He was named First Team All-Liberty League in 2018, earning Second Team honors in 2015 and Honorable Mention honors in 2016 and 2017 as well.

Kinne also played three seasons of summer collegiate ball as well, spending 2015 with the Futures Collegiate League's Pittsfield Suns, and both 2016 and 2017 with the then-Great West League's Portland Pickles. Over these three summers, he hit a combined .264 with 66 hits, 10 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 35 RBI, and a .698 OPS in 79 games.

Kinne reportedly joins Cleveland's front office nearly a month after the St. Louis Cardinals hired former Guardians Director of Player Development Rob Cerfolio as their Assistant General Manager, Player Development & Performance.