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Clayton Kershaw Declines Player Option

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The MLB Players Association announced that Clayton Kershaw has become a free agent. That indicates he declined his $10MM player option with the Dodgers.

Kershaw has said on a few occasions that he plans to stay in Los Angeles. He announced at the World Series parade that he would be a “Dodger for life.” It stands to reason that the future Hall of Famer plans to renegotiate a new contract with the team, but he needed to decide by this evening whether to exercise the option.

In all likelihood, this is simply a move that’ll buy the sides time to hammer out a new incentive-laden deal. Kershaw’s last contract was heavily stocked with incentives as he returned from shoulder surgery. While he’s not battling anything quite that serious this time around, he is set to undergo surgeries on his left knee and left big toe. Kershaw and the club may want to evaluate his recovery before settling on some kind of incentive package for his next contract.

That also affords an extra bit of flexibility from a roster perspective. Kershaw would have counted against the 40-man roster all winter had he exercised the option. He won’t count against the roster for as long as he’s a free agent. That’ll allow the Dodgers to somewhat unofficially operate with an extra spot for a while.

Once Kershaw returns to L.A., he’ll rejoin a rotation that could lose both Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler to free agency. The Dodgers have Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May among their in-house rotation options. As is the case each winter, it’s a group loaded with talent but plenty of durability questions. The Dodgers should be heavily involved for starting pitching.

13 Players Receive Qualifying Offers

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Today is the deadline for teams to decide whether or not to issue qualifying offers to eligible players. Per Jeff Passan of ESPN on X, 13 players have received the QO and they are:

As a recap, the qualifying offer system was created in the name of competitive balance, allowing clubs to receive compensation if key players depart via free agency. The value changes from year to year as it is the average of the salaries of the 125 highest-paid players in the league. This year’s QO is valued at $21.05MM.

If the player rejects the QO and signs elsewhere, his previous team receives draft compensation while his new club is subject to draft pick forfeiture and sometimes international bonus penalties as well. MLBTR has previously covered what each team’s compensation and penalties would be.

Players have until 3pm Central on November 19 to decide whether to accept or not. In that time, they are free to negotiate with other clubs just like all other free agents, assessing their options before making a decision.

Most of the players on this list are not surprising. Many of them have enough earning power where it was obvious that they would receive a QO and they have an easy decision to reject it while going on to pursue larger guarantees on multi-year deals. Some of the decisions were a bit more borderline and MLBTR took closer looks at those in separate posts, including Martinez, Pivetta and Severino/Manaea.

There were also some notable players who were candidates to receive a QO but ultimately didn’t. MLBTR recently took a look at the pitchers and position players with a chance at receiving a QO. Michael Wacha was listed as a possibility but that came off the table when he and the Royals agreed to a new deal yesterday. Shane Bieber of the Guardians, Jeff Hoffman of the Phillies, Paul Goldschmidt of the Cardinals, Tyler O’Neill of the Red Sox, Gleyber Torres of the Yankees, as well as Ha-Seong Kim and Jurickson Profar of the Padres were all identified as long shots to receive a QO and ultimately none of them did.

Clubs generally don’t want to lose draft picks or be subject to the other associated penalties. As such, receiving a QO can sometimes have a negative impact on a player’s prospects in free agency, though it won’t be a significant factor for the top guys.

Joe Kelly Planning To Pitch In 2025

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In an upcoming edition of the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast, veteran reliever Joe Kelly told host Rob Bradford (X link) that he isn’t yet planning to retire, and that the right-hander is aiming to return next season and pitch in what would be his 14th Major League campaign.

While there hadn’t been any particular indication that Kelly was thinking of calling it a career, it was fair to wonder about his future considering his recent injury history.  Kelly was limited to 35 games and 32 innings for the Dodgers this season due to recurring shoulder problems, most prominently a right posterior strain that put him on the injured list for about 2.5 months.  The right-hander then missed a little under three weeks during another IL stint due to shoulder soreness, and missed out on the Dodgers’ playoff run after (according to manager Dave Roberts) tweaking his shoulder during a simulated game in early October.  Kelly did tell Bradford that he thought he might get inserted onto the World Series roster if the Fall Classic had gone to a Game 6, perhaps due to another injury within the Dodgers’ bullpen.

Kelly has now visited the IL on ten separate occasions over the last five seasons, due to a variety of both arm-related (shoulder, elbow inflammation, nerve problem in his bicep) issues and other maladies like a groin strain or a hamstring strain.  The longest of these IL stints was this season’s trip to the 60-day IL for the shoulder strain, but the sheer number of knocks clearly makes durability a big concern for Kelly as he heads into his age-37 season.

Unsurprisingly, Kelly’s performance has tended to fluctuate pretty wildly amidst all these injuries.  He has a 4.21 ERA over 162 1/3 innings since the start of the 2020 season, with a strong 29.4% strikeout rate but also an 11.2% walk rate.  Kelly had this same walk rate during the 2024 season, though only with a 24.5K% and a 4.78 ERA in his 32 frames.  Most of his Statcast metrics were below average, yet Kelly can still bring elite velocity with his 98.1 mph fastball.

That eye-popping heater will still surely get Kelly some looks from interested teams in free agency this winter, though landing anything beyond a one-year contract would count as a surprise.  Kelly’s past forays into the open market have netted some healthy contracts — a three-year, $25MM pact with the Dodgers in December 2018, then a two-year, $17MM deal with the White Sox prior to the start of the 2022 season.  That latter contract contained a $9.5MM club option for 2024 that the Dodgers (who re-acquired Kelly at the 2023 trade deadline) declined, though they then re-signed Kelly on a one-year, $8MM pact for 2024.

Returning to L.A. on a lower salary could certainly be in the cards, as there is some obvious fondness between the two sides and Kelly would surely love a crack at a fourth World Series ring.  Beyond the Dodgers, pretty much any team in need of extra bullpen velo could consider Kelly in the hopes that he is due for another bounce-back year, even with the caveat that is seems unlikely he’d avoid the injured list for an entire season.

12 Players Elect Free Agency

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As the offseason nears, a number of players elect minor league free agency each week. These players are separate from six-year MLB free agents, who’ll reach the open market five days after the conclusion of the World Series. Eligible minor leaguers can begin electing free agency as soon as the regular season wraps up. These players were all outrighted off a team’s 40-man roster during the year and have the requisite service time and/or multiple career outrights necessary to reach free agency since they weren’t added back to teams’ rosters.

Electing free agency is the anticipated outcome for these players. There’ll surely be more to test the market in the coming weeks. We’ll offer periodic updates at MLBTR. These transactions are all reflected on the MiLB.com or MLB.com logs unless otherwise stated.

Infielders

Pitchers

* Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported that Dalbec, Westbrook, and Keller have elected free agency. Francys Romero reported that Barrero has elected free agency.

Dodgers To Exercise Club Option On Miguel Rojas

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The Dodgers are picking up their $5MM club option for the services of shortstop Miguel Rojas in 2025, as reported by KPRC2’s Ari Alexander. The option came with a $1MM buyout, meaning that L.A. is committing a net $4MM to bring Rojas back into the fold.

The move hardly comes as a surprise given Rojas’s strong performance this year. The 35-year-old veteran delivered one of the strongest offensive seasons of his career in 2024, slashing .283/.387/.410 with a wRC+ of 111 in 337 trips to the plate this year. Rojas began the season in a bench role behind middle infield duo Mookie Betts and Gavin Lux, but a hand fracture suffered by Betts in June provided the opportunity for Rojas to step back into the daily lineup. Rojas was subsequently hampered by forearm and groin issues throughout the season and into the playoffs but nonetheless managed to hit a respectable .286/.343/.392 while providing strong defense at shortstop in his final 62 games of the regular season.

By picking up Rojas’s option, the Dodgers maintain the flexibility to utilize him as their primary shortstop headed into 2025. With that being said, that role appears to be far from guaranteed to the veteran even after a strong season this year. After all, Rojas will play all of next year at 36 years old and the injury woes that plagued him in 2024 don’t appear to be going away; Rojas has already acknowledged that he’ll need to undergo surgery this winter due to a partially torn adductor muscle in his groin and a sports hernia. It’s not yet clear if Rojas will have enough time to rehab and get ready for the season in time for Opening Day next March, but even if he does it would hardly be a surprise if the Dodgers decided to push Rojas into a part-time role as they look for ways to improve this winter.

Perhaps the most straight forward way to do that would be acquiring a shortstop. Willy Adames is the top shortstop available in free agency this winter, and Ha-Seong Kim could be another potential upgrade over Rojas at the position depending on how his recovery from shoulder surgery goes. Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette stands out as a plausible trade candidate, though his down 2024 season makes him somewhat unlikely to move this winter. Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner has shortstop experience and saw his name floated in trade rumors late in the year, but his recent flexor tendon surgery may put an end to that possibility.

Adding a shortstop isn’t the only way the Dodgers could upgrade at the position over Rojas, however. The club dealt for versatile switch-hitter Tommy Edman at this summer’s trade deadline, and Edman offers quality defense all over the diamond, including at shortstop. Edman figures to handle center field for the Dodgers in 2025 as things currently stand, but it’s possible that the Dodgers could go out and acquire a center fielder like Chas McCormick, Cedric Mullins, or even Luis Robert Jr. this winter on the trade market who would then push Edman back onto the infield.

If Rojas were to be moved back into a bench role by the club’s moves this winter, it would leave them with valuable infield depth capable of covering not only shortstop but also second and third base effectively while helping to balance out a heavily left-handed infield. Of course, it’s also possible the club simply sticks with Rojas at shortstop, relying on Edman to serve as depth at the position with Andy Pages and James Outman among the internal options who could step into center field on days Edman shifts over to shortstop. Such a plan could allow the club to be more aggressive in filling their vacancy in left field and bolstering a pitching staff that was once again wracked with injuries this year.

Dodgers Exercise Club Option On Austin Barnes

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The Dodgers have exercised their club option on the services of catcher Austin Barnes for the 2025 season. Barnes will earn $3.5MM in 2025.

Barnes, 35 in December, was a ninth-round pick by the Marlins back in 2011 but has spent his entire big league career with the Dodgers. The veteran first debuted with the club back in 2015 and has now spent parts of ten seasons with L.A. in the majors. While he’s never been an everyday player and only received the lion’s share of playing time behind the plate in 2019 (when he shared duties with veteran Russell Martin and rookie Will Smith), Barnes has proven to be a sturdy and reliable backup catcher for the club throughout his career and has even become something of a personal catcher for franchise legend Clayton Kershaw in recent years.

With Smith under contract for the next decade after signing a ten-year extension back in March, he’s set to remain the club’s starting option behind the plate for the foreseeable future. The Dodgers also have a number of interesting catching prospects in the upper minors including Diego Cartaya and Dalton Rushing. With a number of intriguing internal options at the position, it may come across as something of a shock that the club would pay $3.5MM to retain an aging catcher who has hit just .217/.289/.270 (61 wRC+) over the past two seasons. Surprising as that may seem, however, the veteran remains a fairly well-regarded defender behind the plate with +2 Defensive Runs Saved in just 54 games this year.

For a Dodgers club that routinely runs payrolls at or near the top of the league, $3.5MM is an insignificant price to pay to retain a longtime member of the organization who works well with a franchise icon and offers a reliable, steady option in a year where the club could consider giving those aforementioned youngsters some opportunities to catch at the big league level. It would’ve been a surprise if the Dodgers were willing to commit to either Cartaya or Rushing as Smith’s primary backup on Opening Day of 2025 when neither has so much as a single plate appearance in the majors, and retaining Barnes allows the club to ease those prospects into life at the big league level and give them whatever time they may need at Triple-A to polish their skills and prepare for the big leagues.

Two more option decisions will need to be made over the coming days involving the Dodgers: the team will need to decide whether to bring shortstop Miguel Rojas back on a $5MM option ($1MM buyout), and Kershaw will need to decide whether he wishes to exercise his $10MM player option or head back into free agency (where he’s already indicated he would look to re-sign in Los Angeles).

Dodgers Notes: Hernandez, Flaherty, Kershaw, Freeman

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Teoscar Hernandez and trade deadline pickup Jack Flaherty are heading to free agency after playing major roles in the Dodgers’ World Series triumph, and both players told reporters (including MLB.com’s Juan Toribio and SportsNet LA’s David Vassegh) that they would like to return to Los Angeles for an encore.

“My hopes are really high.  Like I’ve said before, the Dodgers are the priority, obviously,” Hernandez said.  “I’m going to do everything in my power to come back….I want us to be here.  I want us to be part of this.  I have so many good memories here.  I’ve learned a lot as a player, as a person.  It feels great to be part of this.”

“I love this city.  I never want to leave,” Flaherty told Vassegh, with the words perhaps carrying a bit of extra weight since Flaherty was born in Burbank and grew up in Los Angeles.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that Flaherty would give the Dodgers a hometown discount, though naturally playing close to home gives the Dodgers (and theoretically the Angels) an extra edge that other potential free-agent suitors can’t match.

It isn’t surprising to hear players on any team (whether world champions or not) express an open desire to re-sign with their current teams, and feelings could change as the free agent market develops.  Of course, winning a title again underlines the fact that L.A. should be a contending team for years to come, giving the Dodgers even more flexibility in picking and choosing how they’ll construct their 2025 roster.

Re-signing Hernandez would bring another big bat back into the lineup and check off the left field question mark in one fell swoop.  Though the slugger is entering his age-32 season, he is also coming off one of the best years of his nine MLB seasons, and he further showed his value with a big playoff performance.  On the flip side, Hernandez would surely reject a qualifying offer, putting the Dodgers in line for a compensatory draft pick if Hernandez signed elsewhere.  If Los Angeles wanted to give Andy Pages more playing time in left field or perhaps keep the position open for another outfielder (even a big name like Juan Soto), the Dodgers could opt to walk away from Hernandez and just view their one-year alliance as a total win for both parties.

Both Hernandez and Flaherty were looking to bounce back after shaky 2024 seasons, and Flaherty likewise answered some critics by posting a 3.17 ERA across 162 combined regular-season innings with the Tigers and Dodgers.  The right-hander’s postseason performance was a lot more inconsistent, yet Flaherty was important simply because he was a proper starting pitcher within the injury-ravaged Dodgers’ staff.  On paper, most of Los Angeles’ injured pitchers will be ready to go by Opening Day 2025, yet the team will surely look to solidify this group with at least one other starter to provide some durability as well as quality innings.

Clayton Kershaw is one of those pitchers with a murky health status, as the longtime Dodger ace is set to undergo a pair of surgeries on his left knee and toe.  Kershaw pitched only 30 regular-season innings in 2024 due to bone spurs in his toe, his recovery from a shoulder surgery from last November, and this heretofore unknown torn meniscus in his left knee.

The southpaw has already said he is planning to pitch in 2025, and reiterated to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya and other reporters that “I’ll be back, somehow” for an 18th season with the Dodgers.  This might not necessarily come to pass, however, just by Kershaw exercising his $10MM player option for 2025, as Kershaw might also look to work out a new contract with L.A. that would presumably give both gives some flexibility for the future.  Several of the Dodgers’ extensions in recent years have involved tacking an extra option year or two onto a shorter-term deal, so it seems quite possible the club could again explore such a contract with Kershaw.

In other Dodger news, the end of the playoffs also acts as the time when players traditionally come clean about any hidden injuries they’ve been playing through in October.  It was already known that Freddie Freeman was playing despite an ankle sprain and bone bruise, yet ESPN’s Jeff Passan writes that Freeman also suffered broken costal cartilage in his rib while taking batting practice just prior to the start of the Dodgers’ NLDS matchup with the Padres.

The first baseman still played in four of the five games in that series as well as four of the Dodgers’ six NLCS games with the Mets, though Freeman was hitting only .219/.242/.219 in his first 33 playoff plate appearances.  The four days’ off between the end of the NLCS and the start of the World Series provided Freeman with a chance to fully rest and reset, and he somewhat miraculously felt much better heading into Game 1, when he kicked off his World Series MVP performance.

Clayton Kershaw To Undergo Toe And Knee Surgeries

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As the Dodgers celebrate their World Series victory today, left-hander Clayton Kershaw informed reporters that he will be on the surgeon’s table next week, with work to be done on his left toe and left knee.

He missed time this year due to bone spurs in his left big toe, but the problems evidently go beyond that, as he also has a ruptured plantar plate. The knee surgery will be to correct a torn meniscus. Details were relayed by various reporters, including Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic (X links). His return timeline is unclear at this point.

Kershaw, 37 in March, has a legendary career but his most recent seasons have been defined by his health issues. Due to various ailments, he hasn’t tossed 135 innings in a season since 2019.

It was almost exactly a year ago, on November 3 of 2023, that the lefty announced he had undergone shoulder surgery. Since that procedure was going to keep him out until midseason, he and the Dodgers reunited on a deal that reflected his health status.

It was technically a two-year deal, with Kershaw guaranteed $5MM in both 2024 and 2025 but with the second season being a player option. The deal also included a number of incentives that would allow Kershaw to increase both the value of his 2024 salary and 2025 player option based on games started.

As he attempted to return to the club this summer, he was slowed by some shoulder soreness during his rehab, getting reinstated in late July. In just over a month on the roster, Kershaw made seven starts with a 4.50 earned run average before landing on the injured list due to the aforementioned bone spurs in his toe.

He attempted to get back into game shape as the season was winding down but wasn’t successful. Today’s news provides a bit more clarity on what exactly Kershaw was up against while trying to get back on the field.

By making seven starts this year, Kershaw unlocked escalators worth $5MM on his 2025 option, bringing the value to $10MM. Though he’s set for another offseason of surgery and rehab, he reiterated today that he plans on coming back next year.

He could do that simply by triggering the $10MM option, or perhaps he and the club will negotiate some new pact. His recent free agent trips have been characterized as him essentially deciding between returning to the Dodgers versus signing with his hometown Texas Rangers. During today’s celebrations, Kershaw seemed to erase any mystery about which jersey he would be wearing next year. He declared himself a “Dodger for life,” per Ardaya on X.

Whenever he returns, he will slot into a Dodger rotation that currently projects to include Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Landon Knack and others.. Guys like Emmet Sheehan, River Ryan or Kyle Hurt could factor in once they recover from their Tommy John surgeries. The Dodgers will also likely make offseason moves that alter their rotation picture, either via free agency or trade.

Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Dodgers

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After years of aggressive activity on both the trade and free agent markets -- to say nothing of savvy drafting and player development -- the Dodgers stand alone on top of the MLB mountain. They erased a 5-0 deficit in Game 5 to topple the Yankees by a score of 7-6, securing the largest comeback ever in a clinching game. It's the eighth World Series win in Dodgers history and the fourth time they've topped the Yankees in the Fall Classic. Now, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, general manager Brandon Gomes and the rest of L.A.'s baseball operations outfit must turn their focus to a 2025 title defense.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Shohei Ohtani, RHP/DH: $698MM through 2033 ($678MM deferred, without interest, through 2043)
  • Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP: $270MM through 2035 (player can opt out after 2029 or 2031 seasons)
  • Mookie Betts, OF/INF: $265MM through 2032 ($128MM deferred [$45MM signing bonus, $83MM of salary] through 2044)
  • Tyler Glasnow, RHP: $111.5625MM through 2028 (includes $21.625MM player option for 2028)
  • Freddie Freeman, 1B: $81MM through 2027 ($36MM deferred, without interest, through 2040)
  • Will Smith, C: $96.45MM through 2033 ($45MM deferred through 2043)
  • Chris Taylor, OF/INF: $17MM through 2025 (includes $4MM buyout of 2026 club option)
  • Max Muncy, 3B: $12.5MM through 2025
  • Tommy Edman, INF/OF: $9.5MM through 2025
  • Ryan Brasier, RHP: $4.5MM through 2025

2025 commitments: $214.5MM ($93MM deferred)
Total long-term commitments: $1.565 billion ($887MM deferred)

Option Decisions

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Non-tender candidates: May, Gonsolin, Brogdon

Free  Agents

As is often the case, the first "question" of the offseason for the Dodgers will center around the dugout. Dave Roberts, who's helmed the club for nine seasons en route to eight division titles, four National League pennants and World Series wins in 2020 and 2024, is slated to enter the final season of his contract. A change would register as a shock after Roberts' first World Series win in a 162-game season. An extension to avoid lame-duck status next year seems like it'll be in order, though it's possible that'll be held off until spring training. Broadly speaking, changes on the staff will likely be minimal, unless the Dodgers see a coach or coaches hired away for promotions on other staffs.

With regard to contractual options on the actual roster, there's not a lot of drama. Clayton Kershaw has already committed to returning to the Dodgers next season. Exercising his $10MM player option seems like the most straightforward means of making that happen, but perhaps the two parties will connect early to hammer out slightly different terms. Miguel Rojas' $5MM club option is a net $4MM decision when factoring in the $1MM buyout. After the season he just had, that should be a no-brainer, even if he's ticketed for a more limited role in 2025. Austin Barnes is an organizational favorite, but the Dodgers are deep at catcher. He's a borderline call, but maybe shelling out $3.5MM (and a presumptive 110% luxury tax) for a veteran backup isn't something the organization cares to do with Hunter Feduccia, Diego Cartaya and Dalton Rushing all on the the near-MLB depth chart.

Talk of Juan Soto will dominate the offseason, but we'll get to him in a bit. Starting pitching figures to be the primary focus for a Dodgers club that patched its staff together in the rotation and watched several young arms go down with long-term injuries. Righty Gavin Stone is likely out for all of 2025 following shoulder surgery. River Ryan, Kyle Hurt and Emmet Sheehan all had Tommy John surgery this season. Dustin May's return from flexor surgery was derailed by a bizarre and frightening tear in his esophagus that required surgery. Tony Gonsolin had Tommy John surgery last August and should be back in '25, but he'll be on an innings restriction. Walker Buehler and deadline pickup Jack Flaherty are free agents. Last season's breakout right-hander Bobby Miller endured a nightmare 2024 campaign, logging an 8.52 ERA in the majors and a 6.00 mark in Triple-A.

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Craig Albernaz Withdraws From Marlins’ Managerial Search; Clayton McCullough Still Under Consideration

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Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz has withdrawn his name from the Marlins’ managerial search, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Both the Marlins and White Sox liked Albernaz enough to consider him a finalist in their searches, but Passan suggests Albernaz took his name out of the bidding in Chicago as well prior to the team’s hiring of Will Venable. In a separate report, Passan adds that Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough is still in the mix for Miami’s vacancy. MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola first linked Miami and McCullough about three weeks ago.

Albernaz, 42, was a minor league catcher in the Rays and Tigers systems from 2006-14. He spent four years as the Giants’ bullpen and catching coach and overlapped with then-manager (and now Marlins assistant GM) Gabe Kapler’s time in San Francisco’s dugout. The Guards hired him away from the Giants last offseason — but not after first interviewing him for their own managerial vacancy (which eventually went to Stephen Vogt). Albernaz was originally hired as the Guardians’ field coordinator, but just 16 days later he was listed as the team’s bench coach when they finalized their entire staff under the newly hired Vogt.

McCullough, 44, played four years in the minors before shifting to a minor league coaching track. He managed for seven seasons in the Blue Jays’ system and has been with the Dodgers since 2015. Los Angeles originally hired McCullough as their minor league field coordinator, and he’s been Dave Roberts’ first base coach since the 2021 season.

For the past few years, McCullough has been widely viewed as a future manager. He’s interviewed not only with the Marlins but also the White Sox, Brewers, Guardians, Mets and Royals — emerging as a finalist alongside Matt Quatraro for the Kansas City gig. De Nicola tweets that Dodgers star Mookie Betts has called McCullough “the best coach I’ve ever had.” Like Albernaz, McCullough has worked with Kapler in the past, as the two overlapped during their time in the Dodgers’ minor league coaching ranks.

It’s not clear at this juncture who, beyond McCullough, is still under consideration. Albernaz and Venable were reported to be among the team’s finalists earlier this week. Venable, of course, has since been hired by the White Sox while Albernaz has taken his name out of the running. Other known candidates for Miami’s managerial search included Tigers bench coach George Lombard and Luis Urueta, who served as the bench coach under Skip Schumaker prior to his recent departure from the organization.

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