Luhnow speaks at MIT

Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow was in Boston today to speak at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. The 2-day event held on the campus of MIT features a who’s who of highly respected sports gurus. In addition to Luhnow, Bill James and Nate Silver were on the bill. Houston Rockets’ G.M. Daryl Morey also spoke yesterday.

Luhnow talked about the changing landscape and the role of analytics in baseball, noting that the Astros now employ five analysts with advanced degrees. After his appearance at the conference, Luhnow sat down with Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish.  The young journalist who, like Luhnow, has quickly gained respect among his peers and others close to the industry, hit on a variety of topics.  The two talked about the Astros offseason additions and the approach taken by the club over the winter.

He noted that the Astros place a high value on the competitive balance draft pick that they received from the Orioles in last summer’s Bud Norris trade, and that they were not looking to lose it by signing a compensation-linked free agent this offseason.

In addition, Cotillo asked for Luhnow’s thoughts on the way the rules stemming from the new CBA affects Free Agency moving forward. Luhnow also talked about the “chain of custody”, so to speak, on how data and information is distributed through the ranks of the club. Be sure to check out Cotillo’s entire article.

Jeff Luhnow (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)