DENVER -- The Rockies continued their coaching staff changes with the departures of assistant hitting coach Jeff Salazar and Major League coach Tim Doherty, according to a Major League source.
Also, longtime pitching coach Steve Foster has accepted the director of pitching operations job to replace Mark Wiley, who is retiring, and Darryl Scott, who moves from bullpen coach to pitching coach. The club has not made an official announcement.
Salazar, the first assistant hitting coach in Rockies history, just completed his fifth season in that role. He also spent two seasons at Double-A Hartford before joining the Major League staff. Salazar was an eighth-round Draft pick for Colorado in 2002, and he played in 168 Major League games with the Rockies (2006), D-backs (2007-08) and Pirates (2009).
Doherty spent six years in the Rockies' organization and he just completed his first year on the Major League staff after serving five years as a hitting coach in the system. He also was the Red Sox's assistant hitting coach in 2012, under current Colorado hitting coach Dave Magadan.
The moves are the latest as Magadan, manager Bud Black and the Rockies try to solve the issues that come with playing in and out of altitude. In 2021, Colorado finished fifth in the National League with a .731 team OPS, but the club ranked last in the NL with a .643 road OPS.
Also, playing in a hitters' park, the Rockies were tied for ninth in the NL with 182 home runs and finished 13th in road homers with 78.
Colorado will address the issues with not only coaching changes, but a beefed-up research and development department to streamline scouting, statistical analysis and anticipated player additions.