Padres name Dave Roberts as bench coach and Jose Valentin as first base coach

The San Diego Padres today announced that Dave Roberts has been named as the club's bench coach and José Valentín will replace Roberts as first base coach. Executive Vice President/General Manager Josh Byrnes made the announcement.

"We're thrilled to promote Dave to the role of bench coach and add José to the Major League staff," Byrnes said. "Dave commands the utmost respect inside the clubhouse and his knowledge of the game will allow him to excel in this role. José experienced a great deal of success the last two seasons with our affiliate in Fort Wayne and his extensive background in the game will prove to be an asset to the club."

Roberts served as the Padres' first base coach for the past three seasons after being named to the Major League staff on October 18, 2010. The 41-year-old joined the Padres organization in 2010 as a special assistant to baseball operations following a 10-year Major League career and a one-year stint with the New England Sports Network. Roberts has also served as the Padres' baserunning coach since the beginning of the 2011 season, with the club having recorded a MLB-best 443 stolen bases during that time. Roberts will fill the position vacated by Rick Renteria who was named as the Chicago Cubs manager on November 7.

Valentín, 44, managed Class A Fort Wayne each of the past two seasons, leading the Padres' Midwest League entry into the playoffs in both campaigns. Valentín, born and raised in Manati, Puerto Rico, batted .243 with 249 home runs as an infielder over a 16-year Major League career for the Milwaukee Brewers (1992-99), Chicago White Sox (2000-04), Los Angeles Dodgers (2005) and New York Mets (2006-07). He was first signed by the Padres out of Puerto Rico as a non-drafted free agent in 1986, playing five seasons in the system before being dealt to Milwaukee in 1992 in the trade that brought Gary Sheffield to San Diego. Following his playing days, Valentín served as an instructor at the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School.