Rachel Minaya, the wife of former Mets GM and current Yankees executive Omar Minaya, was found dead in their New Jersey home on Saturday, according to a family informant. Omar Minaya was not at home when his wife died. According to the family source, suicide has been ruled out as the cause of death.
Police did not reveal the exact location of the Minaya home. Rachel is survived by her husband, Omar, and their two sons. Their son, Justin, played basketball for the Portland Trail Blazers and their G-League affiliate during the 2023-24 season. Since 2023, Omar has been working with the New York Yankees as a senior advisor to general manager Brian Cashman.
Unexpected Death But Not Suicide
Omar Minaya was the Mets' GM from 2004 to 2010 and later returned as a special assistant from 2017 to 2023. He also worked as an executive for the Montreal Expos and served as a scout for the Texas Rangers.
The Minayas have two adult sons, Justin and Teddy. Justin is a forward with the Portland Trail Blazers and is currently playing for their summer league team in Las Vegas.
According to a 2007 Sports Illustrated profile, Omar met Rachel in 1989 at a hair salon in Manhattan, and they got engaged within a year during a trip to Italy.
Omar Minaya joined the Yankees in early 2023 as a senior advisor to general manager Brian Cashman. He was previously the Mets' general manager from 2004 to 2010 and a special assistant to various GMs in Queens from 2017 to 2020.
Illustrious Career
At 65, Omar has also served as the GM of the Montreal Expos before the team relocated to Washington and became the Nationals. He also worked for the Texas Rangers as a scout and was the vice president of baseball operations for the San Diego Padres from 2011 to 2015.
Known for his scouting skills, Omar Minaya was appointed as the Mets' GM after the 2004 season. During his time there, he signed players like Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez, which contributed to the team's 2006 NLCS appearance.
Originally from the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens, Minaya also managed drafts that brought the Mets homegrown talent such as Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey, which helped them reach the World Series in 2015.
With the Yankees, Minaya has spent time with the major league team and visited their minor league affiliates and international locations, providing additional insights for Cashman.
He is one of three former GMs in the Yankees' front office, alongside Brian Sabean and Jim Hendry.
Between his roles with the Mets, Minaya worked in the Padres' front office from 2011 to 2015, which made him a valuable asset when the Yankees completed a trade with the Padres for Juan Soto in December.
He then served as a senior advisor to Tony Clark, the executive director of the MLB Players Association, for three years before returning to Queens under Sandy Alderson.
Before joining the Yankees, Minaya also worked for MLB as an amateur scouting consultant for a year.
