ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays announced their Minor League coaching-staff assignments for the 2019 season on Friday, with notable changes throughout the system.
After five seasons as the manager of Double-A Montgomery, Brady Williams becomes the manager of Triple-A Durham, replacing Jared Sandberg, who left the organization after the 2018 season for a spot on the Mariners' Major League staff.
Williams led Double-A Montgomery to 79 wins last season -- its most since 2007 -- and a fourth consecutive playoff berth. The former first baseman was selected by the Red Sox in the 1999 Draft and played five seasons in the Minor Leagues with the Red Sox, Twins and Rays.
Another addition to the Triple-A coaching staff is former outfielder Quinton McCracken, who joins the organization after one season as the Minor League outfield and baserunning coordinator for the Marlins. McCracken, 48, played in the Majors for 12 seasons, including three with the Rays. He was the club's second selection in the 1997 expansion draft, and hit leadoff in the team's inaugural game in 1998.
Morgan Ensberg, 43, was hired to replace Williams as the manager of Double-A Montgomery. Ensberg spent the previous two seasons managing in the Astros system, with Class A Buies Creek in the Carolina League in 2018, and with Class A Short-Season Tri-City in the New York-Penn League in 2017. Ensberg played eight MLB seasons with the Astros, Padres and Yankees. Most notably, the new Double-A manager was named the Astros' MVP in 2005, when the team won the National League pennant.
Other notable changes in the Minor League coaching staff include Jeff Smith being named manager for Class A Charlotte and Reinaldo Ruiz going back to Class A Bowling Green after one season at the helm in Charlotte. Craig Albernaz was named Minor League field coordinator, joining Michael Johns. Tomas Francisco was named the Minor League catching coordinator, replacing Paul Hoover, who is now on Kevin Cash's staff as the Major League field coordinator. Rafael Valenzuela, 31, will enter his first season managing at any level as the manager of the Gulf Coast League Rays.
There were also a couple of changes to the Major League staff. The Rays hired Jean Ramirez as bullpen catcher, replacing Mayo Acosta, and Josh Rodrigues was named replay administrator.
Here are all of the Rays' Minor League coaching-staff assignments for the 2019 season:
Triple-A Durham
Manager: Brady Williams
Pitching coach: Rick Knapp
Coach: Dan Dement
Coach: Quinton McCracken
Athletic trainer: Scott Thurston
Conditioning coach: Bryan King
Double-A Montgomery
Manager: Morgan Ensberg
Pitching coach: RC Lichtenstein
Coach: Jamie Nelson
Coach: Gary Redus
Athletic trainer: Kris Russell
Conditioning coach: Carlos Gonzalez
Class A Advanced Charlotte
Manager: Jeff Smith
Pitching coach: Steve Watson
Coach: Joe Szekely
Coach: Ivan Ochoa
Athletic trainer: James Ramsdell
Conditioning coach: Sergio West
Class A Bowling Green
Manager: Reinaldo Ruiz
Pitching coach: Brian Reith
Coach: Manny Castillo
Coach: Jeremy Owens
Athletic trainer: Brian Newman
Conditioning coach: James McCallie
Class A Hudson Valley
Manager: Blake Butera
Pitching coach: Jose Gonzalez
Coach: Alejandro Freire
Coach: Sean Smedley
Athletic trainer: Tsutomu Kamiya
Conditioning coach: Dan Rousseau
Rookie-level Princeton
Manager: Danny Sheaffer
Pitching coach: Jim Paduch
Coach: Wuarnner Rincones
Coach: German Melendez
Athletic trainer: Ruben Santiago
Gulf Coast League Rays
Manager: Rafael Valenzuela
Pitching coach: Alberto Bastardo
Pitching coach: Marty DeMerritt
Coach: Brady North
Coach: Jim Morrison
Athletic trainer: Peter Walukiewicz
Athletic trainer: Shinichiro Fukuda
Conditioning coach: Paul Jones