David Stearns appears on MLB Network’s Clubhouse Confidential

Astros Assistant General Manager David Stearns made an appearance on MLB Network’s Clubhouse Confidential Wednesday night. The program, hosted by Brian Kenny, bills itself as “the thinking fan’s baseball show.” Kenny focuses on sabermetrics and “new age” ways of looking at the sport.

Stearns, who was recently hired to assist Jeff Luhnow, is only 27. Although he is one of the youngest among his peers, Stearns already has a wealth of experience. A graduate of Harvard, Stearns spent 4 years working in the Commissioner’s office where he assisted in negotiating MLBl’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Stearns’ involvement with the innermost workings of the CBA will undoubtedly give the Astros an edge when it comes to implementing strategies to deal with the new rules. Some of the new rules affect the way teams are allowed to allocate funds in the draft and international signings. The Astros did a nice job with the draft in 2012 by spending below slot on first overall pick Carlos Correa. That allowed the club to sign compensatory pick Lance McCullers as well as some other picks to attractive deals. And that was before Stearns joined the Front Office!

Stearns said working in the Commissioner’s office helped him learn a lot about how each and every franchise goes about their business. He also said the “new age” approach practiced by Luhnow is becoming more common throughout the league. Stearns did an interview with Kenny that lasted approximately four minutes. He carried himself with the utmost amount of confidence and professionalism. I’ve got to say, I like this guy.

Here’s a link to the interview.