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Miguel Cairo

Nationals Add Gerardo Parra, Chris Johnson To Coaching Staff

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The Nationals announced their coaching staff for the 2024 season on Friday, confirming their previously reported hiring of bench coach Miguel Cairo and also revealing that former big leaguers Gerardo Parra and Chris Johnson will be on manager Davey Martinez’s staff next year. Parra, who played a key role with the Nationals in their World Series Championship 2019 season, will be the team’s first base coach. Johnson, who spent the 2023 season as an assistant hitting coach with the White Sox, will hold the same role in Washington.

Parra, 36, spent parts of a dozen seasons in the big leagues between the D-backs, Rockies, Nats, Brewers, Giants and Orioles in addition to one season with Japan’s Yomiuri Giants in 2020. He spent half the 2019 season with the Nats but played a significant role in their Cinderella run to a World Series title, operating as a key bench piece for Martinez and endearing himself both to the fanbase and in the clubhouse as a veteran leader. Parra famously co-opted “Baby Shark” as his walkup music and as a celebration/rallying cry for the Nats that year. He returned for a second stint with the Nats in ’21 before calling it quits as a player and joining the team’s front office as a special assistant.

Johnson, 39, retired as a player after the 2019 season. He spent parts of eight years in the Majors between Houston, Atlanta, Arizona, Cleveland and Miami, batting a combined .275/.313/.404 with 63 homers in just shy of 3000 plate appearances. His last contract was a minor league deal with the White Sox, who hired him as their Triple-A hitting coach prior to the 2021 season. He served in that role until joining the big league staff this past season. The Sox opted not to bring Johnson back for the 2024 campaign, with Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times writing at season’s end that the team’s hitters were “torn between multiple hitting voices” on the team’s coaching staff. Presumably, Johnson’s philosophies better align with those of Coles — the veteran hitting coach who’ll be entering his third season with the Nationals.

Returning to the Nats’ staff in 2024 will be hitting coach Darnell Coles, pitching coach Jim Hickey, catching coach Henry Blanco and bullpen coach Ricky Bones. Ricky Gutierrez, who served as the team’s run prevention coordinator in 2023, will be the club’s new third base coach.

Nationals To Hire Miguel Cairo As Bench Coach

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The Nationals are set to hire Miguel Cairo as their new bench coach, as first reported by Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online. Cairo spent the 2023 season as a minor league infield coordinator in the Mets organization.

A versatile utility man, Cairo played 17 seasons in the major leagues, fielding six different positions for nine different teams. Immediately following his retirement after the 2012 season, Cairo took a job as a special assistant in the Reds’ front office and briefly served as the team’s interim bench coach. He then moved on to the Yankees organization, working in the player development department and as a minor league infield coordinator.

Ahead of the 2021 campaign, Cairo earned his first genuine big league coaching job, joining the White Sox as Tony La Russa’s bench coach. He was promoted to acting manager for the final month of the regular season (Larussa was on medical leave), and although he interviewed for the managerial opening that winter, he was not asked to return to new skipper Pedro Grifol’s staff in 2023. Instead, he took a job as a minor league infield coordinator with the Mets, a role he had previously held during his tenure with the Yankees.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez played alongside Cairo for parts of three seasons with the Devil Rays between 1998 and 2000. According to Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports, the skipper has “always spoken highly” of his former teammate.

Cairo is the latest addition to Washington’s dugout this offseason. Last week, the team hired Gerardo Parra and Ricky Gutierrez to coach first and third base, respectively. The Nationals had several holes to fill after parting with bench coach Tim Bogar, first base coach Eric Young Jr., third base coach Gary DiSarcina, and assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler at the end of the season.

White Sox Hire Jose Castro As Hitting Coach

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The White Sox have finalized their coaches under first-year skipper Pedro Grifol. Chicago announced the entire staff this afternoon, including the addition of José Castro as hitting coach. Eddie Rodríguez, who had spent the past three seasons working with Grifol as the Royals’ minor league field coordinator, joins Chicago as third base coach. Mike Tosar and Geoff Head join the big league staff as major league field coordinator and senior director of sports performance, respectively.

Chicago also confirmed the previously-reported hires of Charlie Montoyo as bench coach and former MLB third baseman Chris Johnson as assistant hitting coach. Previous bench coach/interim manager Miguel Cairo and assistant hitting coach Howie Clark are no longer on staff. Pitching coach Ethan Katz and bullpen coach Curt Hasler were already known to be returning from Tony La Russa’s 2022 staff. Daryl Boston is the other holdover, as the Sox announced today he’d return as first base coach.

The most notable news is the tabbing of Castro as hitting coach. The 64-year-old has spent the past eight seasons as an assistant hitting coach in Atlanta. A native of Cuba, Castro played 14 minor league seasons between 1977-90. He’s spent the past three-plus decades in various instructional roles, including a stint as interim hitting coach with the 2008 Mariners. This’ll be his first time taking the lead role on a full-time basis.

Castro was one of two assistant hitting coaches in Atlanta, pairing in that role with Bobby Magallanes. Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that the Braves don’t plan on replacing him, instead letting hitting coach Kevin Seitzer and Magallanes handle those responsibilities.

White Sox To Hire Charlie Montoyo As Bench Coach

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NOVEMBER 3: At today’s press conference introducing Grifol, GM Rick Hahn told reporters (including The Athletic’s James Fegan) that Montoyo, Katz, and Hasler would be on the coaching staff.  The White Sox will be looking outside the organization to fill the bulk of the other coaching roles.

NOVEMBER 1: The White Sox landed on their new skipper this morning, with various reports indicating that Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol will take over the dugout. Grifol has apparently already tabbed his top lieutenant. Former Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo will join Chicago’s staff as bench coach, as first reported on Twitter by Northbrook Bob.

It could be the start of a significant coaching staff overhaul on the South Side, as Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic tweeted this morning that a number of the members from Tony La Russa’s staff will not return. Pitching coach Ethan Katz is a seeming exception, as Rosenthal notes he’s expected back for a third season. Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times hears the same and reports that bullpen coach Curt Hasler is likely to stick around as well. The rest of the staff makeup seems to be up in the air.

Most notably, that includes now-former bench coach Miguel Cairo. The longtime big league infielder was hired as La Russa’s right-hand man going into the 2021 season. He spent two years as Chicago’s bench coach and took over as acting manager at the end of this past season when La Russa stepped away to attend to the health problems that eventually led him to vacate the managerial position. Cairo got an interview from the Sox for the full-time managerial position, but he obviously didn’t land that job. Now, it’s an open question whether he’ll return to the organization in any capacity.

Montoyo adds an experienced voice to the Chicago coaching staff. The 57-year-old has coached or managed in the majors for the past seven years. After more than a decade and a half managing in the Rays farm system, Montoyo got a bump to the MLB staff as Kevin Cash’s bench coach heading into the 2016 campaign. He held the role for three seasons before the Blue Jays hired him as their skipper over the 2018-19 offseason.

The Puerto Rico native managed the Jays for three-plus seasons, leading Toronto to a playoff berth in 2020. The Jays narrowly missed the postseason last year. Toronto started the 2022 campaign 46-42 and held a playoff spot as the All-Star Break approached, but the Jays decided to go in another direction and fired Montoyo on July 13. Bench coach John Schneider was promoted and guided the team to a 46-28 record down the stretch, clinching a Wild Card berth before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Mariners.

Montoyo’s past bench coach and managerial experience should be welcome for Grifol, who’ll manage an MLB team for the first time. He and the front office figure to build out the remainder of his staff over the coming weeks. Hitting coach Frank Menechino, assistant hitting coach Howie Clark and base coaches Daryl Boston and Joe McEwing are among those who appear to have uncertain futures as the Sox shuffle their staff.

Tony La Russa Announces He Won’t Return To White Sox In 2023

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White Sox manager Tony La Russa issued a statement today, saying that he will not return to his role for 2023. His contract runs for another year but he has been dealing with health issues that have kept him away from the team since late August. Reports emerged over the weekend that an announcement of this nature would be coming today.

“This February, I had a pacemaker installed and was cleared by my doctors to begin spring training as scheduled,” La Russa’s statement reads. “A periodic check of the device later identified a problem. During batting practice on August 30, I was informed of the issue, taken out of uniform and tested by doctors the next day.The solution was to update the pacemaker in Arizona and for me not to return as manager without medical clearance.”

La Russa goes on to outline a second, unspecified health issue that was diagnosed earlier in the year and that he intended to address in the coming offseason. “While I was inactive with the pacemaker, the second issue was analyzed. The result is that a corrective plan has been developed by my medical team and implementation has begun. I informed the White Sox of this second issue while I was out of uniform dealing with the pacemaker. At no time this season did either issue negatively affect my responsibilities as White Sox manager. However, it has become obvious that the length of the treatment and recovery process for this second health issue makes it impossible for me to be the White Sox manager in 2023. The timing of this announcement now enables the front office to include filling the manager position with their other off-season priorities.”

He then goes on to express his disappointment in his performance this year but makes clear he is not upset with the fans, even those who jeered him, as he understands their desire for the club to win. The White Sox are currently 79-80, eliminated from postseason contention after qualifying in the previous two seasons. In a press conference following the release of the statement, La Russa said he has not yet discussed a different role with the organization as his health is his focus right now, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times.

General manager Rick Hahn also participated in the press conference, saying that discussions about the next manager have already begun, per Van Schouwen (Twitter links). As for what they will be looking for in their next skipper, Hahn says they would like someone with recent managerial experience and success. A pre-existing relationship with the organization is not a prerequisite, though acting manager Miguel Cairo will receive an interview.

The Sox will be competing with a handful of other clubs who will also be looking for new field bosses for 2023. The Marlins and Don Mattingly announced that he won’t be back for next year, while the Blue Jays, Phillies, Angels and Rangers have all fired their managers midseason here in 2022. Some of those clubs will potentially retain their interim managers, with the Blue Jays seeming like a candidate to do so.

Whoever the White Sox grab to helm the dugout next season, they will have a very similar roster as La Russa had this year. Much of the club’s core performers are still under club control next year, with the most notable exception being first baseman Jose Abreu. However, the last time Abreu was approaching free agency, he was re-signed to stick around Chicago and could perhaps do the same again.

Of course, the organization could always make changes to the roster through the offseason, though they may be hamstrung financially. The club set a franchise record last year with an Opening Day payroll of $129MM but then shattered that here in 2022 by going up to $193MM, according to numbers from Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Next year’s outlay is at $121MM so far, in the estimation of Jason Martinez of Roster Resource. However, that number doesn’t include raises for arbitration eligible players like Lucas Giolito or options for players like Tim Anderson, not to mention a potential new contract for Abreu. As such, Hahn tells Van Schouwen that the club is likely to be more active on the trade market than in free agency this winter.

Tony La Russa Won’t Return As White Sox Manager This Year

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The White Sox have announced that Tony La Russa, who has been absent from the team due to a medical issue, will not return to manage for the remainder of the 2022 season. “After undergoing additional testing and medical procedures over the past week, doctors for Tony La Russa have directed him to no return as manager of the Chicago White Sox for the remainder of the 2022 season,” a team statement reads. “Bench coach Miguel Cairo will continue to serve as acting White Sox manager through the remainder of the 2022 season.”

La Russa, who turns 78 next month, took a leave of absence from the club at the end of August. The exact nature of his medical ailment wasn’t specified at the time, though it was reported that he would undergo testing on his heart. He was cleared to travel to Oakland a couple of weeks ago for a ceremony honoring Dave Stewart, though not to return to any kind of active duty in the dugout. It seems that, in the opinions of his medical team, La Russa hasn’t recovered enough to return to the team over the final days of the season.

La Russa’s contract runs through 2023, though his ability to actually serve as the club’s skipper next year could depend on how he recuperates. Cairo has been at the helm the past few weeks and will continue in that role down the stretch. Though the White Sox initially surged under his leadership, they have cooled off recently. They are now eight games behind the Guardians in the Central division and 6.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.

Tony La Russa Taking Leave Of Absence To Attend To Health Issue

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White Sox manager Tony La Russa will be away from the team for an indefinite amount of time to attend to an unspecified medical concern, the club announced this afternoon. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports he’s undergoing testing on his heart. The veteran skipper missed last night’s game on the advice of doctors. He underwent testing this morning, and the team stated he’ll now return to his Arizona home to meet with his personal physicians.

Bench coach Miguel Cairo served as acting manager last night against the Royals. The former MLB infielder will continue in that capacity for the duration of La Russa’s absence. Cairo informed the media that he’d been in consultation with La Russa about in-game strategy (link via The Athletic). The White Sox have 33 regular season games remaining, including tonight’s contest. Losers of five straight, Chicago enters play Wednesday with a 63-66 record that has them six games behind the Guardians in the AL Central.

La Russa, 77, is in his second season at the helm in Chicago. Hired over the 2020-21 offseason, he’s reportedly under contract through 2023. MLBTR sends our best wishes to La Russa and wishes him a speedy recovery.

White Sox To Hire Miguel Cairo As Bench Coach

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The White Sox will hire Miguel Cairo as their new bench coach, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports on Twitter. He had been working in the Yankees organization as minor league infield coordinator.

This’ll represent a new challenge for Cairo, who spent 17 years in the majors during his playing days. He briefly served as interim bench coach with the Reds back in 2013, but has otherwise remained out of a big league uniform since hanging up his spikes.

Cairo will serve as the top lieutenant to newly hired manager Tony La Russa, who’ll face intense scrutiny as he makes his own return to the MLB dugout. No doubt the 46-year-old Cairo will be tasked with helping to connect the 76-year-old La Russa to a generally youthful Chicago roster.

Miguel Cairo Joins Reds Front Office

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Veteran infielder Miguel Cairo has joined the Reds front office in a role that apparently ends his playing career. The Reds announced that Cairo has become a special assistant to general manager Walt Jocketty (Twitter link).

Cairo, 38, spent the 2010-12 seasons with the Reds, contributing in a utility role. In a 17-year career that includes stints with nine teams, he has a .264/.314/.361 batting line. Cairo earned approximately $10MM as a player, including $1MM per season for 2011-12.

NL Central Notes: Greinke, Wimberly, Lyon, Mier

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Notes from the NL Central…

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