MLB coaching roundup: Dodgers, Astros, Phillies
The Dodgers are retaining nearly every coach from 2013 while the Astros and Phillies are looking at big shakeups.
Elsa Garrison
After firing bench coach Trey Hillman earlier on Tuesday, the Dodgers are expected to keep the remainder of their 2013 coaching staff aboard, reports True Blue LA.
Among the remaining coaches are batting coach Mark McGwire, pitching coach Rick Honeycutt and base coaches Davey Lopes and Tim Wallach. The latter three all had options that were picked up. McGwire was still under contract for 2014.
Hillman, the lone coach not returning, had been hand-picked by manager Don Mattingly three years ago. It has been no secret that the relationship between Mattingly and Dodgers management has been strained. It appears the team will not allow him to pick his own bench coach if he is to return to the team in 2014.
Astros shake up coaching staff
The Astros announced their coaching staff for 2014, with plenty of new faces and new roles, reports Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
Dave Trembley and Eduardo Perez -- the team’s third base coach and bench coach in 2013, respectively -- will swap positions next year. In addition, the team signed Brent Strom as pitching coach and Pat Listach as first base coach. The one coach returning to his same job in 2014 will be hitting coach John Mallee, though he has a new assistant in Ralph Dickenson.
This is the second time Strom has joined the Astros as a pitching coach. Most recently, he had been working with the St. Louis Cardinals first as a minor league pitching instructor, then as the minor league pitching coordinator. Listach has worked as a bench coach, base coach and minor league manager for the Cubs. He was a minor league infield coordinator for the Dodgers in 2013.
Phillies’ search for pitching coach progresses
The Philadelphia Phillies' search for a new pitching coach is ongoing and the team may approach Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell, reports Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
McDowell has been with Atlanta for eight seasons and has helped the Braves consistently have one of the best rotations in baseball. Since he joined the team, the Braves have had the second best ERA in the majors behind just the Dodgers. Their team ERA of 3.18 in 2013 was the best in the majors and helped them earn a division title.
Other candidates for the position are rumored to be Triple-A pitching coach Ray Burris, Marlins bullpen coach Reid Cornelius and Rod Nichols, who was the Phillies' bench coach in 2013.
The team decided against renewing 2013 pitching coach Rich Dubee’s contract for another season.
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