The Mariners have unveiled their coaching staff for the 2020 season, with three new faces joining the crew. Pete Woodworth will replace Paul Davis as Seattle’s pitching coach, as Davis will take on a new position as the organization’s chief pitching strategist. Carson Vitale will be the team’s new Major League field coordinator, while Jarret DeHart will become the assistant hitting coach, working alongside second-year hitting coach Tim Laker.
All three are internal hires, coming up to the big league club after previously working in the Mariners’ farm system. Woodward has been moving up the affiliate ranks as a pitching coach for the last four seasons, most recently serving as the pitching coach for Double-A Arkansas. Vitale has been the Mariners’ minor league field coordinator for the last two seasons. DeHart has also been with the organization for the last two years, working as the hitting coach for the M’s Arizona League team in 2018 and spending last season as a roving minor league hitting strategist.
The coaching staff as a whole will have a different yet familiar look, as several incumbent coaches will be taking on new roles. Jared Sandberg, who was the previous Major League field coordinator, will now be Scott Servais’ bench coach. Manny Acta, who worked as bench coach for the last two seasons and as the third base coach in 2016-17, will be coaching at the hot corner once again, replacing the departing Chris Prieto.
Brian De Lunas is another coach resuming an old position, as he will step into the bullpen coach job that was held by Jim Brower in 2019. De Lunas was Seattle’s bullpen coach in 2018 before working as director of pitching development strategies in 2019.
Laker and first base/infield coach Perry Hill will both be back in their same coaching roles in 2020.
Only a matter of time before Dipoto wakes up sometime today and trades one of these guys.
i was going to post the same thing. dipdip!
If you saw the team on the field last year you’d want to make some trades too! At least we have a chance of winning something if he makes a trade- it’s about the only thing we can win in the next 12 mos! Haha
Trade Scott Servais
Why? It probably would push their current rebuild back to change head coaches at this point and Servais still seems to be getting the most out of the current talent. Suggesting trading a coach isn’t really funny when you’re talking about a team that has traded a coach before. Piniella for Randy Winn turned out Ok. Don’t think Servais has that kind of demand, though.
I disagree
If I’m not mistaken the “trade him” wasn’t to be take seriously, more of a commentary on his management ability… He’s a complete yes man and very “on mission statement” centered. He’s totally metrics centered that his situational management is horrible, and so is his bullpen management, granted the m’s ‘pen last season was abysmal, but that’s not an excuse. Baseball still is a game played by humans and not by numbers. We’re unpredictable and so is the game.. Scott isn’t good at that part.
He’s not a “Head coach”. He’s the manager
Mark,
You butchered the new pitching coach’s name. Congrats Pete!
I said a year ago, when he was hired, Jared Sandburg would eventually manage the M’s, and his new assignment moves him toward that goal. Years in the Rays’ system, where he did well (sometimes with less than glorious rosters), lives in Seattle, young and analytically oriented.
I like these moves for one reason they have experience on some level. I don’t understand why so many win now teams are rolling the dice on ex players with zero experience. Maybe it works but it’s hard to know. Being there first year you almost have to give them two or three years before you know if they have the goods. Your window could be closing or you may have wasted years of opportunity taking that risk. Even thought I don’t love Maddon I don’t hate the Angels hire at least he’s shown he can succeed. Phillies also made a good hire with a known winning commodity.
Internal hires?? Color me shocked.
I’m your puppet…do do do do.
Where is Man of the Hour Jim Brower headed?
First, his name is Paul Woodworth, not Woodward.
Second, if you think about it, this move makes sense. Where were all the M’s top pitching prospects this year? AA-Arkansas, where Woodworth was the pitching coach. How did they do this year? Pretty darned good. The M’s already have Justus Sheffield penciled in for a rotation spot, and Justin Dunn could be there as well. Then you have all the bullpen arms (Warren, Fletcher, Delaplane, etc.) It helps to have continuity through your system, especially when you’re mostly going with a boatload of kids. So if they already know the pitching coach in the majors, who in turn already knows the pitchers’ strengths and weaknesses, there will be less of a “let’s figure out what this guy can do” with a lot of those pitchers.
Am I saying the M’s are going to lead the league in ERA anytime soon? No, but the “control the zone” philosophy they’ve been preaching has been working in the minors (not so much in the majors) and having one of the coaches who has been successful at integrating that philosophy as part of the major league staff could help.
The pertinent question here is, how does Dipoto still have a job?
Why would you say that?