Rays name Minor League coaching staffs for 2021
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays have named the minor league on-field coaching and medical staffs for the 2021 season. Below are the organizational changes for minor league managerial roles:
- High-A Bowling Green Manager Jeff Smith, last season was assigned to manage Class-A Charlotte;
- Low-A Charleston Manager Blake Butera, last season was assigned to manage Class-A Bowling Green;
- Rookie-level GCL Rays Manager Rafael Valenzuela, last season was assigned to manage Short-A Hudson Valley
Below are the new hires to the minor league on-field coaching staffs:
- Coach Ronnie Richardson (Rookie-level GCL Rays), was an assistant coach at Hillsborough Community College from 2017-20 and field manager of the Wisconsin Woodchucks (collegiate summer Northwoods League) from 2019-20. He also spent the 2018 season in the Miami Marlins organization as an outfield/baserunning coach for Short-A Batavia
Below are the organizational changes to the minor league coaching and medical staffs for the 2021 season:
Name Position 2021 Club 2020 Assignment
Alberto Bastardo Bullpen coach Durham (AAA), 1st Half Princeton (Rookie)
Pitching coach GCL Rays (Rookie)José Gonzalez Bullpen coach Durham (AAA), 2nd Half GCL Rays (Rookie)
Reinaldo Ruiz Coach Durham (AAA) GCL Rays (Rookie)
Kris Russell Athletic trainer Durham (AAA) Montgomery (AA)
James Ramsdell Athletic trainer Montgomery (AA) Charlotte (A)
Brady North Hitting coach Bowling Green (A) Charlotte (A)
Steve Watson Pitching coach Charleston (A) Charlotte (A)
Wuarnner Rincones Hitting coach Charleston (A) Bowling Green (A)
Sean Smedley Coach Charleston (A) Princeton (Rookie)
Tsutomu Kamiya Athletic trainer Charleston (A) Hudson Valley (Short-A)
James McCallie Conditioning coach Charleston (A) Charlotte (A)
R.C. Lichtenstein Pitching coach GCL Rays (Rookie) Hudson Valley (Short-A)
Manny Castillo Hitting coach GCL Rays (Rookie) Princeton (Rookie)
Germán Meléndez Coach GCL Rays (Rookie) Hudson Valley (Short-A)
Hector Torres Coach GCL Rays (Rookie) Infield coordinator
Frank Jagoda Coach GCL Rays (Rookie) Princeton (Rookie)
Ruben Santiago Athletic trainer GCL Rays (Rookie) Princeton (Rookie)
Smith, 46, enters his 27th season in professional baseball and 13th as a manager. He spent the 2019 season with Class-A Charlotte, leading the Stone Crabs to the Florida State League’s best record (82-53) while earning Baseball America’s selection as the Best Managerial Prospect in the FSL. He joined the Rays in December 2018 after spending 14 seasons coaching in the Minnesota Twins organization, including his final two in the majors as the first base coach. As a minor league catcher, he totaled 658 career games in the Twins (1996–2002), Boston Red Sox (2003) and Texas Rangers (2004) organizations.
Butera, 28, enters his seventh season in professional baseball, fourth in a coaching capacity and third as a manager. He spent the 2018-19 seasons managing Short-A Hudson Valley, leading the Renegades to a combined 88-62 record and a playoff berth in both seasons. He began his coaching career as Princeton’s first base coach in 2017 and assisted with extended spring training in 2018 ahead of the New York-Penn League season. He was selected by the Rays in the 35th round of the 2015 Amateur Draft out of Boston College and appeared in a total of 80 minor league games over two seasons.
Valenzuela, 33, enters his 16th season in professional baseball, fifth in a coaching capacity and second as a manager. He managed the Rookie-level GCL Rays in 2019 after serving as a coach for three different affiliates before that: Princeton in 2018, Durham in 2017 (second half) and the GCL Rays in 2016. He spent the first half of the 2017 season traveling with the major league Rays and throwing batting practice. He began his coaching career following a four-year playing career in the Houston Astros organization (2010-13), reaching as high as Double-A in his final season.