Colorado Rockies announce 2020 Minor League staff
Changes include new managers at the Triple-A, Double-A and Short-Season levels
DENVER – The Colorado Rockies announced today their Minor League staff for the 2020 season.
Warren Schaeffer will take over as the manager of the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes after spending the previous two seasons as the manager at Double-A Hartford. This will be Schaeffer’s eighth season overall in the Rockies organization after also serving as the manager with Low-A Asheville and as hitting coach with Short-Season Tri-City. The Isotopes will also welcome a new pitching coach in 2020 as Blaine Beatty moves from Rookie Level Grand Junction’s pitching coach to Albuquerque in his second season with the organization. Tim Doherty will return as the club’s hitting coach, his third season in that role.
The Hartford Yard Goats enter the 2020 season with a new coaching staff, led by former Major Leaguer Chris Denorfia as manager. Denorfia spent the 2019 season as a quality assurance coach with the Chicago Cubs after finishing his playing career in the Rockies organization in 2017. Frank Gonzales, entering his eighth season in the Rockies organization, will serve as the club’s pitching coach after spending the previous two seasons as High-A Lancaster’s supervisor of development. Tom Sutaris joins Hartford after spending his first two years in the organization as Lancaster’s hitting coach.
High-A Lancaster welcomes Steve Soliz as their new supervisor of development, Ryan Kibler as their new pitching coach and Michael Ramirez as their new hitting coach. Soliz moves to Lancaster after spending the 2019 season as Short-Season Boise’s manager, his first season with the Rockies. Kibler joins the JetHawks with eight seasons of pitching coaching experience, most recently with Short-Season Boise. Ramirez previously served as a coach for the Rockies’ Dominican Summer League team from 2018-19. Scott Little returns for his second season as manager after two seasons managing Boise.
Low-A Asheville will keep the same staff as 2019 with the exception of Zach Osborne, who joins the club as their new hitting coach after two seasons as Rookie Level Grand Junction’s hitting coach. Randy Ingle will once again be the supervisor of development with the club, his second season with the Rockies after spending the previous 41 seasons in the Atlanta Braves organization. Robinson Cancel enters his third season as the manager of Low-A Asheville while Mark Brewer will return as the pitching coach, his second consecutive season as the club’s pitching coach and his seventh season as a pitching coach in the Rockies organization.
Cesar Galvez is promoted to manager for the Short-Season Boise Hawks after spending the previous two seasons as a coach for the team. Dave Burba, in his 10th season as a coach in the Rockies organization, will join the club as their pitching coach after spending the previous two seasons with Lancaster. Fred Ocasio returns in his second season as the club’s supervisor of development, his 24th season with the Rockies, and Nic Wilson embarks on his first season in the Rockies organization as Boise’s hitting coach after spending the previous season as a volunteer assistant coach for Eastern Kentucky University.
Rookie Level Grand Junction will have a brand new staff in 2020 with the exception of Manager Jake Opitz, who will manage the club for the third consecutive season. Pedro Lopez joins the club as the supervisor of development after 12 seasons with the New York Mets organization, most recently serving as manager of Low-A Columbus. Helmis Rodriguez will become the club’s new pitching coach after two seasons as a pitching coach in the Dominican Summer League while Trevor Burmeister joins the club as the new hitting coach after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Madison College in Madison, Wisc.
Eugenio Jose becomes a manager with the DSL Rockies after spending the previous 14 seasons as a hitting coach at that level. Manager Mauricio Gonzalez (21st season) and coach Florentino Nuñez (13th season) will continue their duties with the DSL Rockies.
A full breakdown of the Rockies Minor League staff can be found below.
Organizational Staff
Camps and Fundamentals Coordinator Andy Gonzalez (Supervisor, Rookie Level Development)
Director, Pitching Operations Mark Wiley
Pitching Coordinator Steve Merriman (Hartford Pitching Coach)
Pitching Coordinator Doug Linton
Catching Coordinator Mark Strittmatter
Hitting Coordinator Darin Everson
Physical Performance Coordinator Trevor Swartz
Rehab Coordinator Scott Murayama
Assistant Rehab Coordinator/Manager, Scottsdale Operations Andy Stover
Minor League Video Coordinator Jeff Nelson
Director, Mental Skills Development Doug Chadwick (Mental Skills Coordinator)
Assistant Mental Skills Coordinator Jerry Amador
Minor League Clubhouse & Equipment Manager Daniel Kleinholz
Special Assistant, Player Development Bob Apodaca
Special Assistant, Player Development & Scouting Jerry Weinstein
Latin America Field & Pitching Coordinator Edison Lora
Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes Staff
Manager Warren Schaeffer (Hartford Manager)
Pitching Coach Blaine Beatty (Grand Junction Pitching Coach)
Hitting Coach Tim Doherty
Trainer Heath Townsend
Physical Performance Coach Phil Bailey (Hartford Physical Performance Coach)
Double-A Hartford Yard Goats Staff
Manager Chris Denorfia
Pitching Coach Frank Gonzalez (Lancaster Supervisor of Development)
Hitting Coach Tom Sutaris (Lancaster Hitting Coach)
Trainer Hoshito Mizutani
Physical Performance Coach Mason Rook (Boise Physical Performance Coach)
High-A Lancaster JetHawks Staff
Supervisor of Development Steve Soliz (Boise Manager)
Manager Scott Little
Pitching Coach Ryan Kibler (Boise Pitching Coach)
Hitting Coach Michael Ramirez (DSL Coach)
Trainer Josh Guterman
Physical Performance Coach John Gentile
Low-A Asheville Tourists Staff
Supervisor of Development Randy Ingle
Manager Robinson Cancel
Pitching Coach Mark Brewer
Hitting Coach Zach Osborne (Grand Junction Hitting Coach)
Trainer Kelsey Branstetter
Physical Performance Coach Adam Kolberg
Short-Season Boise Hawks Staff
Supervisor of Development Fred Ocasio
Manager Cesar Galvez (Boise Coach)
Pitching Coach Dave Burba (Lancaster Pitching Coach)
Hitting Coach Nic Wilson
Trainer Mickey Clarizio
Physical Performance Coach Tyler Grisdale (Lancaster Physical Performance Coach)
Rookie Level Grand Junction Rockies Staff
Supervisor of Development Pedro Lopez
Manager Jake Opitz
Pitching Coach Helmis Rodriguez (DSL Pitching Coach)
Hitting Coach Trevor Burmeister
Trainer Coy Coker
Physical Performance Coach Luis Cervantes
DSL Rockies Staff
Manager Mauricio Gonzalez
Manager Eugenio Jose (DSL Hitting Coach)
Pitching Coach TBD
Hitting Coach TBD
Hitting Coach Florentino Nuñez
DSL Video Assistant / Coach Eduardo Rivera
Trainer Frank Ovalles
Physical Performance & Athletic Training Asst. Andri Guevara
Physical Performance Coach Raldy Herrera