Rays promote Bradley to finalize coaching staff

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays finalized their Major League coaching staff for this season on Tuesday by promoting Will Bradley to the role of assistant hitting coach.

Bradley will split time between the Rays and Triple-A Durham, according to the team, with his primary focus being on the Major League club and players on the 40-man roster. Bradley spent the past three seasons as a Minor League hitting coordinator for the Rays after serving one year as Durham’s hitting coach.

Most of manager Kevin Cash’s staff will return this season, as expected. The club brought back Ozzie Timmons, the former first-base coach who had been a special assistant, as an assistant hitting coach after parting ways with former assistant hitting coach Brady North. The Rays also replaced outgoing first-base coach Michael Johns, now the Nationals’ bench coach, with former All-Star outfielder Corey Dickerson.

Back in the same roles are bench coach Rodney Linares, pitching coach Kyle Snyder, hitting coach Chad Mottola, third-base coach Brady Williams, assistant pitching and rehab coach Rick Knapp, bullpen coach Jorge Moncada, field coordinator Tomas Francisco, process and development coach Kris Goodman, staff assistant/bullpen catcher Misha Dworken and bullpen catcher Charlie Valerio.

Before joining the Rays’ organization, Bradley spent three years as a Minor League hitting coach in the Angels’ system and worked as a coach at Saint Louis University from 2007-18. Additionally, Bradley served on Team Australia’s coaching staff in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.