Blue Jays finalize minor league coaching staff for 2019

The Blue Jays have finalized their minor-league coaching staff for the 2019 season, setting out each affiliate’s coaches and staff.

The Blue Jays announced the finalized list of minor-league coaches and staff that would be carrying the team’s youngsters through the next season of baseball. Below is a rundown of each affiliate and how their coaching staff will look in 2019 (from the team via Shi Davidi of Sportsnet):

Rookie: Bluefield Blue Jays

The Bluefield Blue Jays will have Luis Hurtado, who appeared as a pitcher for the Lansing Lugnuts in 2011, as their manager in 2019. The rest of coaching staff will consist of pitching coach Rael Lazo, hitting coach Paul Elliott and position coach Chris Schaeffer.

Short Season A: Vancouver Canadians

The Vancouver Canadians welcome manager Casey Candaele, who, in 2017, served as the first-base coach for the Seattle Mariners. Demetre Kokoris (pitching coach), Danny Canellas (position coach), and Justin Batcher (strength and conditioning) are new faces to the organization while Aaron Matthews, who formerly served as the Bisons’ hitting coach, returns to the staff.

Low-A: Lansing Lugnuts

The Lugnuts have added Dallas McPherson as their manager; he managed the Canadians during the 2018 season. Also added to the staff are hitting coach Logan Bone and athletic trainer Hiroki Yoshimoto. Returning to the team are pitching coach Antonio Caceres and position coach Dave Pano.

High-A: Dunedin Blue Jays

The Dunedin Blue Jays have announced Cesar Martin as their new manager. Last season, he held the same position but with the Lansing Lugnuts. Dunedin’s new hitting coach, Matt Young, also spent the 2018 season with the Lugnuts. Pitching coach Jim Czajkowski formerly worked with the Vancouver Canadians, while Jake McGuiggan, who the teams says will be their “analyst/coach” in 2019, spent last season with the Bluefield Blue Jays.

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Double-A: New Hampshire Fisher Cats

The Fisher Cats will welcome Mike Mordecai, the Blue Jays quality control coach, as their manager in 2019. Joining him will be hitting coach Donnie Murphy (who spent the 2017 season with Lansing and the 2018 season with Dunedin), Vince Horsman (who returns for his fourth year with New Hampshire), Andy Fermin (returning as well) and trainer Caleb Daniel, who moves up from Lansing.

Triple-A: Buffalo Bisons

The Bisons announced that manager Bobby Meacham, who briefly joined the major-league team in September and was considered as a rumoured candidate for the major-league skipper position, will be returning to the club in 2019. He will be joined by returning hitting coach Corey Hart and position coach Devon White. Doug Mathis will be the team’s pitching coach in 2019, making his organizational debut. Finally, athletic trainer Bob Tarpey and strength and conditioning coach Brian Pike return for their second seasons.

Other notable position changes within the organization include longtime Bluefield manager Dennis Holmberg moving to manage the Gulf Coast Blue Jays and Mark Worrell, a former major league pitcher, who will become the pitching coach under Holmberg.