Rockies Finalize Coaching Staff
The Rockies announced their full coaching staff this evening. The majority of Warren Schaeffer’s group had previously been reported, but Colorado’s hiring of first base coach Doug Bernier is a new development. Thomas Harding of MLB.com reported the hire shortly before the club finalized it.
Bernier had a brief run as a big league infielder, which began with four games with the Rox in 2008. He also played parts of three seasons with the Twins but was primarily an organizational depth player. While Bernier’s MLB career consisted of 46 games, he made exactly 1000 appearances at the Triple-A level over 11 seasons. Bernier ended his playing career after the 2017 season and jumped into scouting with the Rockies a year later.
The 45-year-old has been employed by Colorado for the past eight seasons. Bernier worked as a bridge between the coaching staff and analytics department as game planning coordinator from 2020-21. He worked as a defensive instructor for two seasons and has spent the last couple years as a minor league field coordinator.
Ron Gideon had been Colorado’s first base coach for the past seven seasons. The Rox announced last month that he was assuming the newly created role of assistant bench coach in 2026. Colorado had already announced that third base coach Andy González would be back in his previous role. Assistant hitting coach Jordan Pacheco is also returning. Bench coach Jeff Pickler, hitting coach Brett Pill, pitching coach Alon Leichman, assistant pitching coach Gabe Ribas, and bullpen coach Matt Buschmann are entering their first seasons with the club.
Minor MLB Transactions: 2-15-16
We’ll kick off the week with today’s roundup of outright assignments and minor signings from around the league…
- Right-hander Chad Jenkins, whom the Blue Jays designated for assignment upon signing Gavin Floyd to a one-year deal, has been outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo, according to the Jays’ transactions page at MLB.com. The 28-year-old posted a 3.25 ERA with the Blue Jays in 97 innings from 2012-14 but saw just 3 2/3 innings in the big league bullpen last season. Jenkins, the 20th overall pick in 2009, instead spent the bulk of the season in Buffalo, where he logged a 2.98 ERA with a 60-to-26 K/BB ratio in 93 2/3 innings (11 starts, 30 relief appearances).
- The Rockies have signed a familiar face, per Baseball America’s Matt Eddy; infielder Chris Nelson is back with the club on a minor league deal. Nelson, now 30, spent 10 seasons in the Rockies organization after being selected ninth overall in the 2004 draft. He batted .279/.322/.416 in 212 big league games with the Rox from 2010-13 but went on to struggle away from the hitter-friendly Coors Field in stints with the Padres, Angels and Yankees.
- Right-hander Clayton Mortensen, 31 in April, is back with the Royals on a minor league deal for the second consecutive season, according to Eddy. Another former top pick (36th overall in 2007), Mortensen was one of the players sent from the Cardinals to the A’s in the 2009 Matt Holliday trade. Mortensen posted solid big league numbers (3.59 ERA in 100 1/3 innings) from 2011-12 with the Rockies and Red Sox but hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2013. He’s worked to a 5.12 ERA in 184 2/3 innings for Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate across the past two seasons.
- The Rangers signed shortstop Doug Bernier to a minors deal last week, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). Bernier, 35, won’t receive an invite to Major League camp, but the veteran infielder will provide some up-the-middle depth for Texas’ Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock. Bernier spent the past three seasons in the Twins organization and was a feel-good story for the 2013 team, as he reached the Majors that year for the first time a brief two-game appearance with the 2008 Rockies (at the time, his only prior MLB experience). Bernier appeared in 44 games with Minnesota from 2013-15 and tallied 79 plate appearances, hitting .231/.351/.292. He’s a career .255/.346/.345 hitter in nine seasons at Triple-A and is known for his solid glove at shortstop, second base and third base.