The Phillies have finalized their player development field staff for the 2017 season, Joe Jordan, Director, Player Development, announced today.
At triple-A Lehigh Valley, Dusty Wathan takes over the reins as manager of the IronPigs after earning Eastern League Manager of the Year honors in 2016. He guided Reading to an 89-52 (.631) record and their second straight Eastern Division title (2015-16). Sal Rende and Dave Lundquist will remain as coach and pitching coach, respectively. The 2017 season marks Rende's 14^th year with the Phillies organization and 11^th overall in his current position.
Greg Legg returns to Reading as manager after serving in the same role there from 2002-04. Former major league assistant hitting coach John Mizerock moves up from Williamsport to serve as the coach for the Fightin Phils. Steve Schrenk returns for his third season overall with Reading and 14^th year as a minor league pitching coach with the Phillies.
Shawn Williams ascends to manage the Clearwater Threshers after leading Lakewood to the South Atlantic League Championship Series in 2016. It will be his fourth season as a manager in the Phillies system. Rob Ducey will begin his fourth year with the Phillies and third straight as coach for the Threshers, while Aaron Fultz returns for his second year as pitching coach.
After spending the last three years as manager of the Gulf Coast League Astros, former major leaguer Marty Malloy joins the Phillies as manager of the Lakewood BlueClaws. Nelson Prada and Brian Sweeney will remain on the staff as coach and pitching coach, respectively.
At Williamsport, Pat Borders will return for his third year as manager of the Crosscutters. He will be joined by coach Tyler Henson, who spent three years (2013-15) as a player in the Phillies minor league system. Hector Berrios returns for his second season with Williamsport and 20^th as a minor league pitching coach.
The Gulf Coast League Phillies staff will see the return of GCL Manager of the Year Roly deArmas and coach Rafael DeLima. The 2017 season will be deArmas' 14^th as manager of the GCL Phillies and 11^th straight. DeLima will start his 18^th year as a member of the Phillies player development staff and his fourth consecutive season at his current position. Two former Phillies round out the GCL coaching staff - Charlie Hayes (coach) and Hector Mercado (pitching coach). Hayes was a 14-year major league veteran, including parts of four seasons with Philadelphia (1989-91, 1995), while Mercado, a left-handed pitcher, appeared in games for the Phillies during the 2002 and 2003 seasons.