MLBPA Hires Chris Capuano

Longtime major league left-hander Chris Capuano officially ended his playing career in 2018, but it didn’t take much time for him to find a new role in the game. The MLB Players’ Association announced the hiring of Capuano as its director of operations on Friday.

With the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire after the 2021 season, the union and the owners have already begun talks on a new CBA. It seems the 40-year-old Capuano is in line to play an important part in future discussions, as the union explained he “will oversee and engage in full range of Players Association Initiatives including general union operations, Players Trust-related activities, various business activities, and collective bargaining.”

Capuano brings impressive credentials to his new position. Not only was he a consistent union presence as a player, but Capuano boasts an accomplished educational background. He earned an undergraduate degree in economics from Duke University in 2000 and recently graduated from MIT’s Sloan Fellows MBA program, according to the MLBPA.

The union’s executive director, Tony Clark, praised Capuano as someone who “has always been a passionate and articulate voice” on the players’ behalf. Capuano added: “This is an opportunity for me to continue working with players to collectively achieve our objectives as stewards of the game and to help players use the great platform our National Pastime provides to make a positive impact.”

Capuano spent parts of 12 years in the majors and combined for a 4.38 ERA across 1,429 2/3 innings with the Diamondbacks, Brewers, Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox and Yankees.