NewsBlue Jays add to scouting department
Anthopoulos brings in 'new layers' to strengthen staff
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com
11/12/09 12:18 PM EST
TORONTO -- General manager Alex Anthopoulos continued his reorganization of the Blue Jays' scouting department on Thursday, adding a handful of scouts to a rapidly growing staff.Toronto named Gary Rajsich a professional cross-checker, Brandon Mozley a regional cross-checker, Brian Parker a professional scout and Dan Cox an area scout. Tom Burns, Dan Cholowsky and Matt Briggs have been promoted to regional cross-checker positions.
"If we can get the best in scouting and the best in player and development," Anthopoulos said recently, "ultimately that will result in better players and a better product on the field. That being said, we're also going to move toward restructuring the way we do our pro scouting and the way we do our amateur scouting.
"We're going to have new layers of scouts. We're going to really be doing some things that haven't been done in the past with other organizations."
Part of Anthopoulos' plan since assuming the GM role at the end of this past season was to nearly double the size his scouting department, which will have an estimated 25 area scouts compared to 14 a year ago. Toronto previously did not have any regional cross-checkers -- an area the rookie GM wants to strengthen. The Jays will also have more than 20 pro scouts under Anthopoulos.
Over the past three seasons, Rajisch worked as a professional scout with the Rangers. Prior to that stretch, he served as an amateur and pro scout for the Red Sox and has been credited for the signing of Boston left-hander Jon Lester. Mosley, who signed Toronto's Travis Snider in 2006, returns to the Jays after three years working as an area scout for the Chicago Cubs.
Parker previously worked as the director of baseball operations with the Washington Nationals. Cox has been an area scout over the past five years, including stints with the Twins and Braves. He also spent three seasons with the Angels and four with Major League Baseball's scouting bureau. Cox will be responsible for scouting Southern California and Hawaii for the Jays.
Burns and Briggs have both worked as scouts for Toronto since 2004. Chowlowsky began his career with the Blue Jays in '06 and has previous baseball experience as a player, agent and coach before moving into a scouting role.
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
