Rangers announce promotions and new hires in baseball operations

November 11th, 2019

Arlington, Texas -- The Texas Rangers today announced the following appointments, promotions and new hires in baseball operations:

• Corey Ragsdale appointed Major League Field Coordinator
• Ross Fenstermaker promoted to Senior Director, Professional and International Scouting
• Rob Fumagalli hired as Major League Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
• Napoleon Pichardo promoted to Director of Performance for the Minor Leagues
• Logan Frandsen promoted to Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator
• Jono Armold promoted to Pitching Coordinator
• Cody Atkinson announced as Hitting Coordinator

Ragsdale, who yesterday celebrated his 37th birthday, will fill the spot vacated on the Major League coaching staff when Jayce Tingler was hired as Manager of the San Diego Padres. It will be his first stint with the big league staff. Ragsdale has spent 10 seasons in player development with the Rangers, doubling as both Field Coordinator and manager at High-A Down East in 2019, where he was selected Carolina League Manager of the Year for the 87-win Wood Ducks. The Arkansas native was originally drafted by the Mets in 2001 and finished his playing career in the Texas organization in 2008-09.

Fenstermaker has spent 10 years in professional and international scouting with the Rangers, including the past two seasons as Director, Pro Scouting. He has also served as a Pro Scout and International Crosschecker during his time with the club. Fenstermaker joined the Texas organization in 2010 as a comprehensive baseball operations intern after a collegiate pitching career at the University of California-Davis.

Fumagalli has spent the last 10 years in the Seattle Mariners organization, including the last six years as Performance Specialist Coordinator. He spent his first four seasons with the club working as a performance coach at various levels of the Mariners farm system. Fumagalli pitched at Elgin Community College in Illinois and earned his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Northern Illinois University.

In his new role, Pichardo will oversee strength and conditioning, medical, mental skills, nutrition, and sports science in the club’s farm system. One of the longest-tenured members of the Texas player development staff, Pichardo is entering his 16th season with the organization in 2020. He has spent the last 15 seasons as the Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator, and was honored as the Bobby Jones Player Development Man of the Year in 2017.

Frandsen is entering his third season in the Texas organization. He served as the Rehab Strength and Conditioning Coach in Surprise, Arizona last season following one year as the Strength and Conditioning Coach at High-A Down East in 2018.

Armold will work jointly with Pitching Coordinator Danny Clark in his new role after serving as a Roving Pitching Coach last season, his fourth year in the Texas organization. He spent three seasons as a Pitching Coach with Short-A Spokane (2018) and the Rookie Arizona League Rangers (2016-17).

Atkinson spent the 2019 season as Hitting Assessment/Run Production Coach for player development in the Cincinnati Reds system. He previously served as head baseball coach at Centralia (WA) College and also had stints as an assistant at Everett Community College, West Virginia University and the University of Texas-Rio Grande. He has a bachelor of science degree in Kinesiology and sports administration from Lewis-Clark State College and a master of education degree from North Central University. Josue Perez, who has held various positions in player development since joining the club in 2006, will assume a new hitting role in the system in 2020.

WINTER BALL UPDATES: Leody Taveras leads all Dominican Winter League qualifiers with a .375 (24-64) batting average through 20 games with Aguilas Cibaenas, ranking T5th on the circuit with 24 hits…Andretty Cordero ranks among DWL leaders in home runs (T8th, 2) and RBI (T9th, 11) for Gigantes del Cibao.