Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN -- The Minnesota Twins announced today that their minor league managerial and coaching positions have been filled for the 2019 season.
Joel Skinner returns for his second season managing the Twins Triple-A affiliate Rochester Red Wings. Prior to joining the Twins, Skinner managed in the White Sox organization from 2012-16, with Triple-A Charlotte and Single-A Winston-Salem. Skinner has more than 14 seasons of professional managerial experience, including managing the Indians on an interim basis in 2002. Stu Cliburn returns as Rochester's pitching coach for the fourth consecutive year and his 28th season in the Twins organization. Javier Valentín will serve as Rochester's hitting coach, marking his fifth season as a coach in the Twins organization, having previously served as a hitting coach for the Twins Double-A affiliate over the last two seasons. Mike McCarthy will serve his second season as the Red Wings bullpen coach. Chris Johnson will spend his second season as the Red Wings trainer, and 14th in the Twins organization. Jacob Dean will serve as the Red Wings strength and conditioning coach.
Ramon Borrego will begin his first year as a manager for the Twins new Double-A affiliate Pensacola Blue Wahoos. This will be Borrego's ninth professional job as manager, after spending 2018 with Single-A Ft. Myers. Cibney Bello and Justin Willard will serve as the club's pitching coaches after splitting the same position for Single-A Cedar Rapids in 2018. Steve Singleton will begin his first season as hitting coach for the Wahoos and his fourth season as coach in the Twins system. Davey LaCroix will serve his first season as trainer for the Wahoos and his fourth overall as a trainer in the Twins system, having spent 2018 with Ft. Myers. Travis Koon will serve as the Wahoos strength and conditioning coach.
Toby Gardenhire will enter his first season as manager at Single-A Ft. Myers and second season as a professional manager, spending 2018 at Single-A Cedar Rapids. Matt Borgschulte will begin his first season as hitting coach at Ft. Myers after spending 2018 with the GCL Twins in that capacity. Luis Ramirez will serve as the club's pitching coach after four seasons at Rookie-Level Elizabethton. Frank Jagoda will serve as coach for the Miracle after a season as the Twins minor league rehab pitching coach. Ben Myers will begin his first season as the Miracle trainer and Chuck Bradway will serve as strength and conditioning coach, his second in the Twins system.
Brian Dinkelman will manage Single-A Cedar Rapids, marking his first professional managerial job. He spent 2018 as hitting coach for the Kernels. Virgil Vasquez will serve as the club's pitching coach, marking his fifth season as a pitching coach in the Twins system. Ryan Smith will begin his first season as hitting coach for Cedar Rapids, having spent 2018 with the College of Central Florida. Former Twins infielder Luis Rodriguez will serve as a coach for the Kernels, his third season coaching in the Twins system. Tyler Blair begins his first season as a trainer for the Kernels and Kyle Kelly joins from the University of Notre Dame and will serve as strength and conditioning coach.
Ray Smith returns as manager for the Rookie Level Elizabethton Twins. Smith, who will be in his 33rd season on staff for Elizabethton (26th as manager), has a career managerial record of 1,015-667 (.603) with 14 first place finishes in 24 seasons. Richard Salazar will serve as Elizabethton's pitching coach after splitting 2018 between Double-A Chattanooga and the GCL Twins. Jeff Reed returns to Elizabethton for his 18th season as hitting coach. Takashi Miyoshi returns to the staff as a coach, his second season with the E-Twins. Matt Kalies will be Elizabethton's trainer and Connor Derrickson joins the Twins and will serve as strength and conditioning coach.
Robbie Robinson will begin his first season in the Twins system as manager of the Rookie Level Gulf Coast League Twins. Robinson spent 2018 managing the DSL Twins, his first season in the organization. Zach Bove and Carlos Hernandez will split the pitching coach duties. Hernandez was with the DSL Twins in 2018 and Bove was an assistant coach at the College of Central Florida. Micheal Thomas, Nate Rasmussen and Caleb Abney will split the hitting coach duties, with Thomas coming from Ft. Myers, Rasmussen from the University of Northern Colorado, and Abney from Austin Peay State University. Cesar Castillo will join as the club's strength coach and Asja Morello will join as the club's trainer.
Seth Feldman will manage the Dominican Summer League Twins, his first season in the Twins organization, previously spending time with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse as an assistant coach. Kevin Rodriguez and Dan Urbina will serve as DSL Twins pitching coaches, while Leury Bonilla and Jairo Rodriguez will be the team's hitting coaches. Jimmy Alvarez will serve as coach. Carlos Frías and Wladimir Morales will serve as the club's trainers, while Juan Carlos Pinto and Jose Cabrera will be the strength and conditioning coaches.
In addition, Edgar Varela will serve his second season as Twins minor league field coordinator. Pete Maki will serve his second season as pitching coordinator. J.P. Martinez returns for his fifth season with the Twins and second as assistant pitching coordinator. Former Rochester Manager Mike Quade returns for his fifth season in the Twins system, his second as outfield coordinator. Billy Boyer joins the Twins from Seattle University as the minor league infield and baserunning coordinator. Peter Fatse will begin his first season with the club as the hitting coordinator. Tanner Swanson will serve as catching coordinator for the second straight season. Sam Perlozzo and Bob McClure will serve as senior advisors to player development, marking Perlozzo's first in this role and McClure's second. Chad Jackson enters his 18th season with the Twins as minor league medical coordinator. David Rak will serve as minor league strength and conditioning coordinator. Axel Lopez will serve his second season as Latin American medical coordinator. Peter Larson joins the Twins as rehab pitching coach. Jose Marzan returns as Latin American operations coordinator. Tyler Schmitz will serve his second season in the organization as minor league video coordinator. Brian Maloney enters his third season as senior manager of minor league operations, while Alex Hassan returns as assistant director of minor league operations. Matt Cheesman will serve his first season as minor league equipment manager. Rafael Yanez and Brad McKenney both return as assistants, Florida operations. Victor Gonzalez will serve as Florida operations manager, marking his second season.
Former Twins great Tony Oliva will continue in his role as hitting coach, in addition to his community relations activities with the club.