Wife of Yankees manager Omar Minaya declared dead after police call

The Yankees, for whom Minaya works as a senior adviser to general manager Brian Cashman, said Monday they were “devastated” by the news.

“To those closest to her, she was a loving and compassionate mother and wife and a great supporter of her family and loved ones,” the Yankees said in a statement. “… During this unimaginable time, we extend our deepest condolences to Omar, his sons Justin and Teddy, and their family and friends. His family is an extension of the baseball family, and this loss is a deeply felt one for all of us.”

Prosecutors said the investigation was ongoing, adding that the “circumstances do not appear suspicious.” Citing a person briefed by the family, the New York Post reported Sunday that suicide had been ruled out as a cause of death and that Omar Minaya was not at home when his wife was discovered.

The Yankees hired 65-year-old Omar Minaya in January 2023. After starting his scouting career with the Texas Rangers in the mid-1980s, Minaya rose through the ranks with the New York Mets and became MLB’s first Hispanic general manager in 2002 when he landed that position with the Montreal Expos.

Minaya left the Expos in 2004, shortly before they moved to Washington and were renamed the Nationals, to return to the Mets as general manager. He took a job in the front office of the San Diego Padres in 2011, then spent a third time with the Mets from 2017-2022 before briefly working as an amateur scouting consultant for MLB.

“We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Rachel Minaya,” Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement Monday. “Omar had a tremendous impact on our organization and his wife Rachel was by his side every step of the way. The Minayas have been close friends of ours for years and we extend our deepest condolences to Omar’s entire family and loved ones.”

Minaya met his future wife, then known as Rachel Albright, in 1989 at a unisex salon in Manhattan, according to a 2007 profile in Sports Illustrated. Their son, Justin Minaya, is a professional basketball player who played for the Portland Trail Blazers each of the last two seasons.

The Yankees held a moment of silence for Rachel Minaya before their 9-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. “I am deeply sorry for O and his family in this situation,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the game. “I think we are all heartbroken.”