The Boston Red Sox today announced the 2017 field staffs of their minor league affiliates.
Red Sox Vice President of Player Development Ben Crockett made the announcements.
Pawtucket (Triple-A, International League)
Kevin Boles will return for his fourth year as PawSox manager in 2017, his 10th year in the organization. Bruce Crabbe will remain on his staff as an additional coach for the fourth consecutive season, extending his tenure with the organization to 13 years. In his 18th year with the Red Sox, Bob Kipper will spend his third season as PawSox pitching coach. Rich Gedman will continue as the club's hitting coach for his third year in that role and seventh with Red Sox affiliates. Joining the PawSox staff as athletic trainer is Eric Velazquez, who began his tenure with the organization last season in the same role with the Portland Sea Dogs. Kirby Retzer will retain his position as strength and conditioning coach in his second year with Pawtucket.
Portland (Double-A, Eastern League)
Carlos Febles, a 10-year veteran of the organization, will continue as manager of the Sea Dogs after debuting in that role last season. Pitching Coach Kevin Walker will return to the staff for his third season in the role and ninth coaching Boston affiliates. New to the team is Hitting Coach Lee May Jr., who spent his first year in the organization in the same role with Greenville last season. Mickey Jiang will serve as an additional coach this season after starting with the club in 2016. He has been coaching in the Red Sox minor league system since 2009. In his second season in the Red Sox system, Scott Gallon will be the Sea Dogs' new athletic trainer. Chris Messina, who joined Portland last season from Pittsburgh's Rookie-level Bristol Pirates, will continue as strength and conditioning coach.
Salem (High-A, Carolina League)
Manager Joe Oliver will return to Salem for his second season at the helm and fourth coaching Red Sox affiliates. He will be joined again by Paul Abbott, who has coached in the system for six years, including two in his current role as Salem's pitching coach. Nelson Paulino, coaching his 20th season in the organization, will continue as hitting coach after starting in that position in 2016. Trainer Nick Kuchwara, who also joined the staff last season, will return in the same capacity in 2017.
Greenville (Single-A, South Atlantic League)
Darren Fenster will manage the Drive again in 2017, extending his tenure to four seasons at the helm in Greenville and six in Boston's system. Walter Miranda also returns for his fourth year as Greenville's pitching coach. Between his playing and coaching careers, Miranda has spent 17 years with the Red Sox organization, including two stints in his current role (2007, 2015-present). Joining Greenville's staff from Short-A Lowell is Hitting Coach Wilton Veras, who spent eight seasons (1995-2002) playing in the Red Sox organization before returning as a coach in 2012. Phil Millan, who assisted with the GCL Red Sox in 2016 after two years as a graduate athletic training student at Texas Tech University, has been hired as Greenville's athletic trainer.
Lowell (Short-A, New York-Penn League)
Iggy Suarez will continue as Spinners manager for the second season after beginning his coaching career as Lowell's hitting coach in 2015. Pitching Coach Lance Carter returns for his third season in that role and fifth as a professional coach, previously in the Philadelphia Phillies system from 2010-11. New to Lowell in the role of hitting coach is Nate Spears, who spent last season as a coaching assistant with Greenville. Spears played 12 seasons of professional baseball as an infielder from 2003-2014, including 2010-12 in the Red Sox organization. Joel Harris, who spent 2016 as an assistant trainer with Lowell, will now be the team's head trainer. Prior to joining Lowell last season, Harris most recently spent two years as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at the University of Kentucky.
Gulf Coast League Red Sox (Rookie, Gulf Coast League)
Tom Kotchman enters his fourth season as manager of the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, having spent 35 total seasons as a minor league manager and scout. Pitching Coach Dick Such will return for his fifth season in that job and ninth in the Red Sox system. After spending 2016 as an assistant coach with Salem, 2003 American League Rookie of the Year Angel Berroa will serve as an additional coach on the GCL Red Sox' staff in the coming year. Berroa, who was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, played nine major league seasons with the Royals (2001-07), Dodgers (2008), Yankees (2009), and Mets (2009). Junior Zamora will retain his post as hitting coach, entering his third year in that capacity after seven years as a bench coach for the Rookie-level DSL Red Sox. New to the GCL staff is coaching assistant Nick Green, who played seven minor league seasons with Angels (2004-08) and Brewers (2009-10) affiliates. David Herrera and Ben Chadwick will continue in their respective roles as athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach. The 2017 season will be Herrera's 10th in the Red Sox organization, while Chadwick has spent two seasons with the club, including last season in his current role.
Dominican Summer League Red Sox (Rookie, Dominican Summer League)
Jose Zapata will return for his 11th season as the club's Latin American field coordinator. Managing the DSL Red Sox will be Aly Gonzalez, who has been with the organization for the last eight seasons as a player (2009-11) and coach (2012-16), including the last two seasons in the same role. Oscar Lira and Aquilino Lopez will continue as the team's pitching coaches after each serving in that capacity last season. While Lopez was new to the organization in 2016, Lira has been coaching for the DSL Red Sox since 2012. Carlos Adolfo and Ozzie Chavez will retain hitting coach duties. After playing five seasons (2011-15) as a catcher in the Red Sox minor league system, Carlos Coste is set to make his coaching debut as the DSL catching coach. Leonel Vasquez, who served as a coaching assistant in 2016, will be the team's bullpen coach. Claudio Sanchez and Carlos Sequera will continue as coaching assistants. Guillermo Hinojosa will return for his eighth season as athletic trainer, while Mario Anguizola and Antonio Diaz will resume their roles as strength and conditioning coaches.