Changes to Phillies front office include promotions for analytics department

When Matt Klentak was hired as general manager of the Phillies, he did not promise an overhaul of the front-office staff. But some changes have begun, resulting in a shift for a tenured assistant and promotions for the team's burgeoning analytics staff.

Benny Looper, an assistant general manager since 2008, is now a senior advisor for international operations. Ned Rice, a trusted ally of team president Andy MacPhail and Klentak during their time in Baltimore, will replace Looper as assistant general manager.

Scott Freedman, hired in 2013 as the team's first full-time analytics employee, was promoted to director of baseball operations. Freedman, 32, came to the Phillies on loan from Major League Baseball's labor relations department when former general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. attempted to expand the club's barren analytics staff.

Freedman was allowed to hire an intern, Lewis Pollis, in 2015. Pollis, a 23-year-old Brown University graduate who also interned for Cincinnati and Cleveland, was promoted Monday to a full-time analyst.

As expected, Pat Gillick will remain on staff as a senior advisor to MacPhail and Klentak. Gillick, 78, is expected to have a role in the Phillies' amateur scouting in preparation for the first-overall pick in June.

Looper, 67, oversaw the entire scouting and player development departments. Rice, 33, handled roster management, arbitration and rules compliance during his 11 years in Baltimore. MacPhail has said he relied on Rice for interpretation of the many advanced metrics that have permeated baseball's front offices.

Rice was hired earlier this month.