Orioles VP/Baseball Operations Brady Anderson has a role that is "unique" within MLB, as his duties are "unusually broad for someone with no previous coaching or front-office experience," according to a profile by Ken Rosenthal of FOXSPORTS.com. Anderson "fills a multitude of roles for the club -- coaching, overseeing the team’s strength and conditioning program, influencing player moves and occasionally assisting in the negotiating of contracts." Orioles Exec VP/Baseball Operations Dan Duquette, manager Buck Showalter and CF Adam Jones are among those who "praise Anderson as an asset." Others with past or present ties to the team, however, consider him a "source of friction and tension as he blurs the lines between executive and former player." Sources said that Anderson is close with both Orioles Owner Peter Angelos and his son, Lou, an ownership rep, adding to Anderson’s "perceived power with the club -- and prompting discussions among some players about what his continued ascent might mean for the club’s future management structure." Duquette said that Anderson "serves as a 'helpful' conduit to the owner." Sources said that some player agents have "expressed concern" to the MLBPA about Anderson’s role, and also have "reported to the union that Duquette and Anderson sometimes communicate different messages to agents." Anderson said that he "never discusses contracts with players and rarely gets involved in negotiations with their agents" (FOXSPORTS.com, 3/20).
