The Cleveland Indians today announced the following promotions and hiring within the club's Baseball Operations Department:
Promoted ERIC BINDER to Director, Baseball Operations.
Hired JAMES HARRIS as Director, Player Development.
Promoted PAUL GILLISPIE to Senior Director, International Scouting.
Promoted VICTOR WANG to Director, Pro Scouting.
Binder spent the last two seasons as the Assistant Director of Player Development. Binder joined the organization in 2013 as a Baseball Operations intern after a two-year Minor League pitching career starting in 2011. The Burr Ridge, IL native attended Northwestern and Trinity University, graduating in 2010, and attended and instructed at the Texas Baseball Ranch from 2009-13. As Director of Baseball Operations Eric will support all day-to-day functions and decision-making of the department.
Harris spent the 2016 season as a Special Assistant for the Pittsburgh Pirates after spending the majority of his professional career in football, most recently as the Chief of Staff for Chip Kelly with the University of Oregon Ducks and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Los Angeles, CA native graduated from the University of Nebraska in 2000 and worked in the Cornhusker and Arizona State Athletic Departments before joining Oregon in 2007. With the Pirates this past campaign, he collaborated across all departments to help drive initiatives that increased effectiveness and efficiency in numerous domains.
Gillispie is in his tenth season in the organization, the last two of which he spent as Director of Professional Scouting. He was the club's Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting for six seasons, 2009-2014. Gillispie graduated from the University of Virginia in 2004. In his new role, Gillispie will oversee the club's evaluation, information-gathering and process implementation efforts for the acquisition of international amateur players.
Wang joined the club in 2009 and has spent the last four seasons as Assistant Director of Professional Scouting, following his 2012 graduation from Northwestern University. Wang will oversee the professional scouting staff and assist in Major and Minor League coverage