The Marlins will not retain pitching coach Juan Nieves, first base coach Perry Hill, assistant hitting coach Frank Menechino or strength and conditioning coach Ty Hill for the 2019 season, reports Joe Frisaro of MLB.com (via Twitter).
Nieves, 53, spent three seasons as the Marlins’ pitching coach after previously spending the 2013-16 seasons as the Red Sox’ pitching coach. Prior to that, Nieves spent five years as the bullpen coach for the White Sox and another nine seasons as a pitching coach in the ChiSox’ farm system. That sizable amount of experience notwithstanding, the Derek Jeter/Bruce Sherman-led Marlins ownership group has apparently decided that a different voice is needed as a large wave of young pitchers graduates from the upper levels of the Marlins’ farm to the big leagues.
The 66-year-old Hill has been a part of the Marlins organization for 12 years and has occupied his the role of infield/first base coach since 2013. He also held that position with the Expos — a note that speaks to his considerable coaching experience in and of itself — and has occupied a variety of coaching and development roles with Miami, Montreal, Detroit and Texas since 1993.
Menechino, 47, spent five years with the organization and is at least somewhat of a known commodity to Jeter and vice president of player development Gary Denbo, having begun his coaching career with the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate back in 2009.
Hill, meanwhile, had been the team’s strength and conditioning coach since Dec. 2012. He’s previously served as a minor league conditioning coordinator with the Pirates and Royals for a combined nine seasons in addition to a combined seven seasons on the Major League staff in Pittsburgh and Kansas City.
