Rays promote Quatraro to bench coach

October 31st, 2018
Tampa Bay Rays third base coach Matt Quatraro stands in the dugout before the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, May 12, 2018, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)Patrick Semansky/AP

ST. PETERSBURG -- Matt Quatraro has been promoted from his role as the Rays' third-base coach to bench coach on manager Kevin Cash's staff.
Quatraro, 44, becomes the 10th bench coach in club history, following Frank Howard (1998-99), Bill Russell (2000), Hal McRae ('01), Billy Hatcher ('01-02), John McLaren ('03-05), Bill Evers ('06-07), Dave Martinez ('08-14), Tom Foley ('15-17) and Charlie Montoyo ('18).
Montoyo was recently named manager for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The 2019 season will be Quatraro's 24th in professional baseball and 16th in a coaching capacity. Last season, Quatraro returned to the Rays' organization after spending the previous four seasons (2014-17) as assistant hitting coach for the Indians.
Prior to joining Cleveland, Quatraro was Tampa Bay's Minor League hitting coordinator from 2010-13. He also spent four seasons as a Minor League manager in the Rays' organization, going 196-228 (.462) with Class A Bowling Green ('09), Class A Advanced Columbus ('08) and Class A Short-Season Hudson Valley ('06-07).
Quatraro's coaching career began midway through the 2004 season, as a catching instructor and coach with Hudson Valley.
An eighth-round selection by the Rays in the 1996 Draft, Quatraro played seven seasons in the system as a catcher, first baseman and outfielder, reaching Triple-A Durham in 2002. He became the first player in organization history to hit for the cycle on July 6, 1997, against Class A Hickory.
Over 415 career Minor League games, Quatraro hit .286/.343/.416 (415-for-1,451) with 23 home runs and 202 RBIs.