Padres To Name Larry Rothschild Pitching Coach
The Padres are set to hire Larry Rothschild as their new pitching coach, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The 65-year-old was recently let go by the Yankees with one year remaining on his contract. Rothschild will be replacing one of the game’s longest-tenured coaches, Darren Balsley, who will change gears and work as a special assistant working with the club’s minor league pitchers.
Rothschild has spent the past nine seasons as the pitching coach in the Bronx and spent nine years prior to that as the pitching coach for the Cubs. He has extensive experience working as a minor league pitching coordinator and Major League bullpen coach, and he was also the inaugural manager of the Rays — a role he held from 1998 to 2001. Balsley, according to Acee, is taking on a less-demanding role in the organization to spend more time with his son, who has committed to play for San Diego State once he graduates high school this spring.
It’s the latest of several changes in the San Diego dugout this offseason. Manager Andy Green was fired after four years on the job, and he’s been replaced by the Rangers’ Jayce Tingler. Meanwhile, the Friars are also set to announce the hiring of Phillies infield coach Bobby Dickerson as their new bench coach.
Padres Add Rod Barajas, Damion Easley To Coaching Staff
The Padres have seen bench coach Mark McGwire step down from his post and dismissed hitting coach Matt Stairs and infield coach Josh Johnson in recent weeks. They’re filling the gaps on the coaching staff from within, per a team announcement. Former big league catcher Rod Barajas, who has been serving as the Padres’ Triple-A manager for the past three seasons, will be the Friars’ new bench coach in 2019. San Diego is promoting assistant hitting coach Johnny Washington to hitting coach. Meanwhile, another former big leaguer, Damion Easley, is moving up from the team’s minor league ranks to serve as assistant hitting coach and infield coach.
Barajas, 43, spent parts of 14 seasons as a catcher in the big leagues, seeing action with the D-backs, Rangers, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Mets, Pirates and Phillies. A career .235/.284/.407 hitter in 3784 plate appearances, he’s managed at three levels in the minors and also served as a hitting coach. He’s been connected to Major League managerial openings in the past, most recently seeing his name floated as a potential candidate in the Rangers’ ongoing search. I’s not clear if he ever received an interview, but presumably, his appointment as the bench coach in San Diego indicates that he is not under serious consideration in Arlington either way.
The 34-year-old Washington is among the league’s youngest coaches and has somewhat remarkably already spent two seasons on the Padres’ big league staff. He won’t turn 35 until next May, but Washington has already been coaching professionally since the 2010 season and has steadily risen to more prominent roles in spite of his youth.
Now 48 years of age, Easley is likely a familiar name for many fans after playing 17 seasons in the Majors — from 1992 through 2008. An All-Star and Silver Slugger winner at second base in a career-year back in ’98, Easley spent seven seasons with the Tigers, five with the Angels, two apiece with the Mets and Marlins and individual seasons with the D-backs and Rays. He was a career .253/.329/.404 hitter in his 17 seasons and has been coaching in the Padres’ minor league ranks for the past seven years.
The rest of the Padres’ coaching staff will include returnees Darren Balsley (pitching coach), Doug Bochtler (bullpen), Glenn Hoffman (third base) and recently retired utilityman Skip Schumaker (first base).