Marlins tab Vitale as bench coach (sources)

December 1st, 2024

MIAMI -- The Marlins have hired Carson Vitale to be their bench coach, joining hitting coach Pedro Guerrero on manager Clayton McCullough's staff, sources told MLB.com. The club did not confirm the report.

Vitale, 36, spent the last five seasons as the Mariners' Major League field coordinator after serving as the Minor League field coordinator for two campaigns. According to MLB.com colleague Daniel Kramer, Vitale coordinated everything for on-field logistics pregame and was allowed to find more of a coaching-type voice over the past two years. He was well-liked by players and former Seattle skipper Scott Servais.

Before joining the Mariners, Vitale was the Dodgers' international field coordinator from 2016-17, overlapping with McCullough (Minor League field coordinator) and assistant general manager Gabe Kapler (director of player development) in the organization. Vitale also worked for four years in the Angels' Minor League system as the Dominican Summer League manager (2014-15), the Rookie-level Orem hitting coach ('13) and the Arizona League hitting coach ('12).

A native of Victoria, B.C., Canada, Vitale played two years of professional baseball after being selected in the 38th round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Rangers out of Creighton University. A catcher, he reached as high as the Single-A level, appearing in 46 career games.

Guerrero, who turns 36 on Dec. 3, spent the last three seasons as the Giants' assistant hitting coach after serving in the same role for the Phillies from 2018-21. He began his coaching career with Rookie-level Ogden of the Dodgers' system from '16-17 following an eight-year playing career as a Dodgers farmhand.

Daniel Moskos will take over as pitching coach after serving as the Cubs' assistant pitching coach from 2022-24, according to sources. Prior to that stint, the 37-year-old was the Yankees' Double-A pitching coach in '21 and the Single-A pitching coach in '20. He worked at Driveline Baseball before then.

Moskos, who was selected fourth overall in the 2007 MLB Draft out of Clemson by the Pirates, posted a 2.96 ERA in 31 appearances in his lone MLB season in 2011.