Rangers set Minors coaching, field staffs

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers have finalized the organization's Minor League field coordinators and coaching staffs.

The four Minor League affiliates will be managed by Matt Hagen (Triple-A Round Rock), Jared Goedert (Double-A Frisco), Carlos Cardoza (High-A Hickory) and Steve Mintz (Low-A Down East).

Goedert is the only manager in the same position as 2021. Last season, Hagen was in his second season as the Rangers’ Minor League field coordinator, Cardoza was the Low-A Down East manager and Mintz was the Down East pitching coach.

Hagen previously managed both Low-A Hickory (2018-19) and Short-A Spokane (2017), compiling a 192-157 record.

The majority of Round Rock’s staff is unchanged, with Bill Simas returning as pitching coach as well as the support staff of Carlos Olivas (athletic trainer) and Wade Lamont (strength and conditioning). Matt Lawson joins the staff as a hitting coach, while former hitting coach Chase Lambin will transition to bench coach. Former High-A Hickory manager Josh Johnson will join Round Rock as development coach.

Goedert returns for his second season after leading Frisco to a division title and 64-55 record in 2021. Jeff Andrews will also return to the RoughRiders as pitching coach, making it his 19th season with the organization.

A number of Hickory staff members are moving up to Frisco, including Chad Comer, who transitions from Hickory hitting coach to the RoughRiders' development coach. Eric Dorton (hitting coach), Yuichi Takizawa (athletic trainer) and Jon Nazarko (strength and conditioning) will all make the move as well.

Cardoza will be managing his fourth Minor League level in the organization after heading the Rookie-level Arizona League Rangers (2019) and Dominican Summer League Rangers (2016-18) prior to Down East in ‘21.

Former ACL Rangers manager Jay Sullenger will join Hickory as a development coach alongside former University of Texas catcher Kawika Emsley-Pai, who spent 2021 with Round Rock.

ACL Rangers hitting coach Ryan Tuntland will return to the organization, taking the same role with the Crawdads.

Hickory will also add Jon Goebel as pitching coach after he served as head coach and pitching coach at Division II Parkland College from 2014-21.

Mintz last served as a manager at Hickory in 2016, when it was the Rangers’ Low-A affiliate, but he has mainly served as a Minor League pitching coach in the organization. Down East pitching coach Demetre Kokoris and hitting coach Collin McBride are both new to the organization.

Former Rangers infielder Guilder Rodriguez and former Texas Minor Leaguer Justin Jacobs will serve as development coaches. Both spent time on the ACL Rangers’ staff -- Rodriguez for five years and Jacobs for one.

The coordinating staff also underwent some changes. Former Triple-A Round Rock manager Kenny Holmberg will add field coordinator to his role as infield coordinator for the seventh year. Danny Clark will remain as pitching coordinator, while Jordan Tiegs received a promotion to work alongside Clark after spending a season as pitching coach for High-A Hickory.

Cody Atkinson returns as the hitting coordinator, a role he’s held since October 2019.