Rachel Minaya, wife of Yankees executive Omar Minaya, was reportedly found dead in her New Jersey home on Saturday.
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The cause of death was determined not to be suicide, according to a report by the New York Post on Sunday night, which cited a source briefed by the Minaya family. At the time of his wife’s death, the baseball executive was not at home.
The Minayas have two sons, Justin and Teddy. Justin Minaya is currently a professional basketball player within the Portland Trail Blazers organization, specifically with the Rip City Remix team in the G League.
This month, Justin returned to the Trail Blazers Summer League team in Las Vegas. During Wednesday’s NBA Summer League action at the Cox Pavilion, his father, Omar, was spotted in the crowd.
Rachel, née Albright, was a New Jersey native who met Omar in 1989 while working at a unisex salon in Manhattan, as detailed in a 2007 Sports Illustrated article about her husband. By the next year, they were engaged.
Omar Minaya’s Wife Rachel Influenced Him to Pass on Signing a Controversial Player
The article further describes a moment when Minaya contemplated signing the contentious reliever John Rocker, who had infamously made racist comments about New York in a Sports Illustrated interview years prior.
However, Rachel urged her husband to pass on the toxic pitcher. Minaya acknowledges in the piece that he would have acquired the controversial reliever if not for his wife’s disapproval.
Omar Minaya began his baseball career as a scout for the Texas Rangers. In the mid-1990s, he joined the Mets as an assistant general manager under Steve Phillips. During his tenure, he played a key role in transforming the team into a World Series contender. He assembled a roster that included standout players like Mike Piazza, Edgardo Alfonzo, and Al Leiter.
In 2002, Minaya assumed the role of general manager for the Montreal Expos during the organization’s final years. He successfully transformed the team into an 80-win playoff contender. Despite his efforts, the team never reached the postseason under his leadership. He eventually returned to the Mets as their general manager.
His time in Queens is best remembered for the landmark acquisitions of Boston Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez and All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran. He served as the team’s general manager until the conclusion of the 2010 season.
Minaya served as senior VP of baseball operations for the Padres until 2015 and returned to the Mets from 2017 to 2022. He joined the Yankees as a special adviser in 2023.