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Omar Teodoro Antonio Minaya y Sanchez (born November 10 , 1958 ), best known as '''Omar Minaya''', is a baseball executive who is currently the General Manager of the New York Mets . The first Hispanic to hold a general manager position in Major League Baseball , Minaya is known for aggressive management of player trades and free agent signings. Born in the Dominican Republic , he moved to Queens , New York City at the age of eight. A star baseball player at Newtown High School, Minaya had a short-lived career in the minor leagues as well as stints in leagues in both the Dominican Republic and Italy . After injuries ended his playing career, Minaya joined the Texas Rangers ' scouting team in 1985 , where he helped in the signing of players such as Sammy Sosa and Juan González . In the mid-1990s, Minaya left Texas and returned home to join the staff of the New York Mets, working his way to Assistant General Manager behind Steve Phillips and being partly responsible for that team's late-1990s success. Minaya would leave the Mets in early 2002 when he joined the Montréal Expos as General Manager. MONTRéAL EXPOS At the time of Minaya's arrival in Montréal, the Expos were jointly owned by the 29 other teams of Major League Baseball. This unusual ownership arrangement was reached after a period of contraction rumors and the purchase of the Florida Marlins by former Expos owner Jeffrey Loria. With the fanbase rapidly declining and speculation that the team would be relocated, Minaya was forced to work with limited financial resources. Despite these limitations, Minaya was aggressive in his attempt to make the Expos a contender, adding Bartolo Colon and Cliff Floyd in a pair of mid-season trades. These moves helped the 2002 Expos to an 83-79 record and second place in the National League East . After another 83-79 record and the departure of star Vladimir Guerrero in 2003 , the Expos went 67-95 in 2004 amid reports that their future in Montréal would soon end. When it was announced that the Expos would Relocate To Washington, DC for the 2005 season, Minaya learned that with the move would come a new front office. NEW YORK METS After Mets General Manager and outfielder Carlos Beltran . Signing Martinez helped raise the awareness of the Mets in Latin America, leading Minaya to remark that Martinez was "a guy that makes the brand."Mahler, Jonathan. "Building the Béisbol Brand." New York Times Magazine . 31 July 2005. Under new manager Willie Randolph , the Mets improved from 71 wins in 2004 to 83 wins in 2005 , staying in the hunt for the postseason until the last week of the season. Minaya's work in the 2005 offseason would further shape the franchise, adding Closer Billy Wagner , First Baseman Carlos Delgado and veteran Catcher Paul Lo Duca . He also strengthened the bench by adding Utility Infielder José Valentín , First Baseman Julio Franco and Outfielder Endy Chavez . Bullpen acquisitions included Chad Bradford , Jorge Julio , and Duaner Sanchez . Despite the veteran additions, Minaya was able to limit payroll by trading Mike Cameron for Xavier Nady and Kris Benson for Jorge Julio and John Maine . The benefits of Minaya's work became immediately apparent in 2006 as the Mets won the National League East by 12 games, finishing first with a National-League-best and Major League-tied 97 wins. During the season, Minaya fortified the team by making additional trades, acquiring Orlando Hernandez (for Jorge Julio) and Oliver Perez and Roberto Hernandez (for Xavier Nady) and trading away second baseman Kazuo Matsui .
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