Red Sox promote Bush to pitching coach

Reliever Osich claimed off waivers from White Sox

October 31st, 2019

BOSTON -- Red Sox manager Alex Cora officially added three new members to his coaching staff on Thursday, highlighted by the promotion of Dave Bush to pitching coach.

Last year, the 39-year-old Bush was the pitcher coordinator, performance, and spent the three seasons before that as the club’s pitching development analyst.

He will lead the club’s goal to be more analytics-driven at the Major League level on a daily basis.

Kevin Walker was elevated to assistant pitching coach after fulfilling that role in Boston’s Minor League system for the last 11 years and serving as the pitching coach at Triple-A Pawtucket the last two years.

In a move that was finalized weeks ago but not announced until Thursday, Peter Fatse will serve as the new assistant hitting coach. The 32-year-old Fatse spent last season as the Minor League hitting coordinator for the Twins.

Fatse, a native of Holyoke, Mass., is also well-versed in analytics. He founded the Advanced Performance Academy, LLC in 2010 and has spent the past nine years as its director of player development, training hitters from the youth level to the Majors.

Bush replaces Dana LeVangie, who was Boston’s pitching coach for the last two years. LeVangie was re-assigned to a scouting role. A former right-handed pitcher, Bush played parts of nine Major League seasons for the Blue Jays, Brewers and Rangers.

Walker is filling the spot vacated by Brian Bannister, though the latter will maintain his role as vice president of pitching development.

Fatse replaces Andy Barkett, who filled the assistant hitting coach role the last two years and is no longer in the organization.

The rest of Cora’s staff remains intact, with Ron Roenicke as bench coach, Tim Hyers as hitting coach, Craig Bjornson as bullpen coach, Tom Goodwin as first-base coach, Carlos Febles as third-base coach and Ramon Vazquez listed as coach.

In addition to those moves, the Red Sox also added Rey Fuentes as mental skills coordinator.

The 40-year-old Fuentes spent the last seven years in the Chicago Cubs organization, including the past five as the Latin Coordinator of the mental skills program. He began his career with the Cubs as the cultural programs coordinator.

Osich changes Sox

In the first official player transaction of the Chaim Bloom era, the Sox claimed lefty off waivers from the White Sox.

The reliever had a 4.66 ERA in 57 appearances for the White Sox last season, holding lefties to a .171 average.

The 31-year-old has appeared in 217 games, all as a reliever, in a five-year career for the Giants and White Sox.