TB announces Minors staff changes, promotions

January 27th, 2020

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays announced their Minor League coaching-staff assignments for the 2020 season on Monday, which included some notable managerial changes throughout the system.

While Brady Williams will return for his second season as Triple-A Durham’s manager, the Rays made some key promotions and changes in the lower levels of the organization.

Among the most notable is that Blake Butera, 27, is the new manager of Class A Bowling Green. Butera, who spent last season managing Class A Short-Season Hudson Valley, enters his fourth season as a coach and third as a manager. Over the past two seasons, Butera has led Hudson Valley to a 88-62 record. Many people throughout the organization believe that Butera is a rising star in the managerial ranks.

Replacing Butera at Hudson Valley is Rafael Valenzuela. The 32-year-old spent last season managing the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Rays. This will be Valenzuela’s fifth season as a coach and second as a manager.

Other changes in the organization include Sean Smedley becoming the new manager for the Rookie-level Princeton Rays. Smedley spent last season as a coach with Hudson Valley. He enters his fourth season as a coach and first as a manager. Reinaldo Ruiz, who spent last season managing Bowling Green, will now serve as the manager for the GCL Rays.

Aside from managerial changes, the Rays also announced organizational changes and new hires for Minor League coordinator roles. Alejandro Freire, who spent last season as a Hudson Valley coach, will now serve as a field coordinator. Dan Dement is now the hitting coordinator. Ivan Ochoa will handle the infield, while pitching coordinator Rolando Garza, hitting coordinator Greg Brown and outfield/baserunning coordinator Chris Prieto are all new hires for Minor League coordinator roles.

The Rays also hired coaches from other organizations. Durham hitting coach Kyle Wilson is coming over from the Mariners organization. Princeton coach Frank Jagoda makes the switch from the Twins organization, while GCL Rays coach Frank Maldonado makes the transition to professional baseball after spending last season as the head baseball coach at Greensboro College in North Carolina. Coveted athletic trainer Oscar Orengo, who will work with the Dominican Summer League Rays, comes over from the Padres after winning the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society DSL Athletic Trainer of the Year Award.

In baseball operations, Alex Roth has been hired as Minor League dietitian. Jenny Garcia, Carla Hodel, Josh Kozuch and Kris Goodman have all been hired as mental performance coaches.

Other title changes within baseball operations include Dewey Robinson to director of pitching development, George Pappas to manager of Minor League and international operations, Milton Jamail to advisor of player education and acculturation and Winston Doom to assistant director of pitching development. Cole Figueroa, who is the assistant director of hitting development, will see an increased on-field role in 2020.