The Cincinnati Reds have announced their coaching staffs for the 2023 minor league baseball season. Plenty of guys are returning, though some are now heading to new affiliates, but there are plenty of newcomers to the organization as well.
Louisville Bats (Triple-A)
Pat Kelly is returning to Louisville as the Bats manager. He has been with the organization since 2007 working as a manager (GCL Reds, Billings Mustangs, Lynchburg Hillcats, Bakersfield Blaze, Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Chattanooga Lookouts, and Louisville Bats). He also served as the bench coach in 2018 for the Cincinnati Reds. This will be his 32nd season as a minor league manager.
Hitting coach Alex Pelaez is also returning to the Bats. He’s going to be in his 3rd season with Louisville as their hitting coach. It will be his 15th year in the organization after joining it in 2009. He’s served as the hitting coach in the past for the GCL Reds, Billings Mustangs, Dayton Dragons, Daytona Tortugas, and Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
Pitching coach Virgil Vasquez is new to the organization in 2023. The former big leaguer had been working in player development for the Minnesota Twins over the previous eight seasons as a pitching coach, working his way up through the organization from their complex level team all the way up to Triple-A last season.
Vince Harrison will be one of two “other” coaches on the staff. This is also his first season in the organization. He had previously been in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in player development where he worked as a hitting coach for five seasons and another four seasons were spent as a manager.
Mike Jacobs is the other coach on the staff. Last season he served as the game planning and outfield coach with the Bats. Prior to that he spent five years with the Miami Marlins in player development. Jacobs also played seven years in the big leagues.
Chattanooga Lookouts (Double-A)
Jose Moreno is back with the Lookouts after taking over as their manager in 2022. This will be his 4th season in the Reds organization. He came over in 2020 and was set to manage the ACL Reds before the season was cancelled. In 2021 he was the manager of the Dayton Dragons before moving on to manage in Chattanooga last season. Prior to joining the Reds he had spent 19 years working as a field coordinator and manager with the Seattle Mariners organization.
Brian Garman will be taking over as the Lookouts pitching coach. He joined the Reds organization in 2020, but with the season cancelled he didn’t officially get on the field for any in-season coaching until 2021 when he was the Dayton Dragons pitching coach. He was also in that same role during the 2022 season. Prior to his time with Cincinnati’s organization he was a pitching coach for two seasons in the Los Angeles Angels organization.
Daryle Ward was on the same coaching staff with Garman in Dayton in 2022. He’s making the move to Chattanooga’s coaching staff. This won’t be his first trip through Chattanooga as he served as the Lookouts hitting coach in 2019. He had been a hitting coach with Dayton in 2017 and 2018, as well as 2021 and 2022. Ward played in the big leagues in parts of 11 seasons, seeing action with the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Cubs from 1998-2008.
Jefry Sierra will be a coach on the Lookouts staff. This will be his 9th year in the organization as a part of the coaching staff, but he also spent eight seasons with the Reds as a minor league player from 2007-2014. Sierra has worked in player development with Cincinnati at their Dominican Republic complex with the DSL Reds in a variety of roles
Michael Bonifay will be the team’s performance coach. He’s the son of Cam Bonifay, who is a special assistant to the GM and in his 21st season with the Reds. Michael was a college pitcher at UNC Charlotte, South Mountain Community College, and North Greenville University before moving on to the coaching ranks. From 2018-2021 he was the pitching coach at Montreat College.
Dayton Dragons (High-A)
The Dayton Dragons will be welcoming back manager Bryan LaHair for his second season in the Midwest League. The former big league All Star (2012) has been in the Reds organization since 2018 when he was the hitting coach with the Billings Mustangs before taking them to the playoffs as their manager the next season. In 2021 he managed the ACL Reds.
Pitching coach Todd Naskedov will be making the move to Dayton after spending the 2022 season as the pitching coach for Daytona. Prior to joining the Reds organization he was a pitching coach in the Houston Astros organization where he served as their complex league pitching coach and rehab coach in 2018-2020, and then as the pitching coach for their Single-A team in Fayetteville.
Eric Richardson is taking over as the hitting coach in Dayton for the 2023 season. Last year he served in the same role for the Chattanooga Lookouts. This will be his 10th season as a hitting coach in minor league baseball. From 2004-2006 he was a hitting coach within the Philadelphia Phillies farm system. He returned to the affiliated coaching circles in 2017 with the White Sox organization before he joined the Reds.
Osmin Melendez is making his debut in the Reds organization as a coach with Dayton. It won’t be his first foray into coaching. This will be his 21st year as a coach in minor league baseball. From 1999-2011 he worked with the Pittsburgh Pirates Venezuelan Summer League (this league no longer exists). In 2013 he began working for the Chicago Cubs farm system, first as a manager for their Venezuelan Summer League team, then moving on as a hitting and infield coach.
Peterson Plaz will be the teams performance coach. Plaz is a former minor league player for the Reds. He played for the organization in the Dominican Summer League in 2016 and 2017 before spending 2018 with the ACL Reds, and then splitting some time in 2019 with the Greeneville Reds (25 games) and Dayton Dragons (2 games).
Daytona Tortugas (Single-A)
Julio Morillo returns to Daytona, but this will be his first time there as a manager. Morillo, who played for the Reds organization from 2010-2015 spent time with the Tortugas as a player in 2015. This will be his 4th season in a coaching role within the organization after working as the big league club’s Spanish language translator. In 2020 he was going to be the Billings Mustangs bench coach, but that season was cancelled. In 2021 he was the development coach for the Arizona League Reds, and then last season took over as their manager and helped lead them to a playoff birth.
Willie Blair will be the pitching coach for Daytona in 2023. Rob Wooten was originally announced as the pitching coach here, but shortly after he stepped aside to take another job. Blair will be in his first season with the Reds organization. He had spent the previous six years in the Detroit Tigers organization where he was most recently a pitching coach for High-A West Michigan. Blair has also served as the San Diego Padres bullpen coach, as well as a pitching coach in their farm system prior to that. In his playing career he saw action in parts of 12 big league seasons from 1990-2001, pitching in 418 games and throwing 1274.0 innings. He made 139 starts in his career to go along with 279 relief appearances.
Jason Broussard is moving up from his stint in the ACL as a hitting coach with Julio Morillo. Broussard joined the organization in 2021 when he was the hitting coach in the Dominican Summer League. Last year he moved up to the ACL where he served in the same role. Now he’ll be in Daytona, likely working with some of the same hitters he’s been with for a third consecutive season. Prior to joining the Reds he had worked as a coach and scout in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
Lenny Harris is returning to Daytona for a third season. He’s served as the bench coach there in the 2019 and 2022 seasons. He joined the organization in 2017 when he was with the Arizona League Reds before moving up to Pensacola in 2018. During 2020 he was set to be the bench coach for Chattanooga before the season was cancelled, and then served in that role with the Lookouts in 2021. Harris spent 18 seasons in the big leagues from 1988-2005 – including spending seven years with the Reds. Prior to joining the Reds as a coach he was an assistant hitting coach with the Marlins big league club, and was a minor league hitting coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals organizations. He was also a field coordinator while with the Nationals.
Dick Schofield will be in his 11th year in the Reds organization. He was in Daytona as the development coach in the 2021 season before becoming the bench coach for the Louisville Bats in 2022. He had been in line to manage the Tortugas during the 2020 season before it was cancelled. Schofield mas managed, been a bench coach, and a hitting coach during his time with the Reds farm system. Prior to joining the Reds he served in several roles with the Los Angele Angels organization in their developmental department. As a player he spent parts of 14 seasons in the big leagues.
Conor Cantwell will be the team’s performance coach. This will be his first year in the organization.
ACL Reds (Rookie)
The complex team in Arizona is getting a new manager in 2023, but he’ll be a familiar face for some of the players. Gustavo Molina is taking over the job in Goodyear after managing the Dominican Summer League Reds in 2022. Prior to joining the Reds organization, Molina managed in the Atlanta organization at their Dominican complex. He has also been a bench coach in the Venezuelan Winter League. A former big leaguer, he played in parts of four big league seasons from 2007-2011 with the Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and New York Yankees.
The ACL Reds will once again have two pitching coaches on the staff. Rayner Oliveros is moving up from the Dominican Summer League staff this year. Last season was his first in the organization. Prior to that he was a minor league pitcher from 2004-2010, pitched in the Venezuelan Winter League from 2006-2013, and also pitched in the French Baseball League.
Fred Corral is returning as one of the pitching coaches at the complex. The 2022 season was his first with the Reds. Prior to that he had worked for the University of Missouri as an assistant pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. He had spent 26 years as a coach in college, making stops at Missouri, Georgia, Memphis, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Sacramento City College, and San Joaquin Delta College. He was also a pitching instructor for the Montreal Expos and Los Angeles Dodgers farm systems.
The ACL Reds will also have multiple hitting coaches in 2023. Nate Irving will be one of the hitting coaches, and it will be his first time as a hitting coach. He spent three years as the bullpen catcher for the Cincinnati Reds before moving to join the Chattanooga Lookouts in 2022 as their game planning and catching coach. As a player he spent two seasons in the minor leagues with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization before playing three years in indy ball. He was also a graduate assistant at Virginia.
José León will be the other hitting coach with the ACL Reds in 2023. He will be in his second season with the organization after serving as the Dominican Summer League hitting coach in 2022. Like manager Gustavo Molina and pitching coach Rayner Oliveras, Leon will be a familiar face to some of the players on the team who get promoted from the DSL last season. Prior to joining the Reds he was in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system serving as a hitting coach and manager. As a player he spent parts of three seasons with the Baltimore Orioles from 2002-2004. He played professionally from 1994-2009.
Anthony Manuel is returning as a coach with the team in Goodyear. Last year was his first with the organization when he served as the ACL Reds bench and infield coach. In 2021 he was the hitting coach for Williamsport in the MLB Draft League. As a player he was drafted twice, signing with the New York Mets in 2005 and playing two seasons in their farm system before playing indy ball for three seasons after that.
Terry Tatum will be in his second year with the Reds organization as a performance coach. Prior to joining the Reds he was the director of player development at the University of Memphis for two years, and a graduate assistant with the Tennessee Volunteers.
DSL Reds (Rookie)
Juan Ballara is taking over the managerial role for the Dominican Summer League Reds. This will be his 2nd season with the organization, having served as the DSL bench and catching coach in 2022. Before joining Cincinnati’s organization he was with the Arizona Diamondbacks for 24 years in their player development pipeline. He was a manager for nine of those seasons. He was a minor league player for eight seasons, from 1990-1997.
David Rosario is returning as one of the DSL Reds pitching coaches. He will be in his 2nd year with the organization. He had previously been a pitching coach in the Chicago Cubs farm system for 13 years between 2005-2017. He was also the pitching coach in the Caribbean World Series for the Dominican Republic in 2020 and for Puerto Rico in 2021. As a player he was in the minor leagues from 1986-1993 before pitching in the Mexican League and Atlantic League.
The other pitching coach will be Cesar Garcia. This will be his first year in the organization. Prior to this he was the director of player development at Indoorance Sports Academy in New Jersey.
Luis Terrero will be the hitting coach for the DSL squad. This will be his 7th season in the organization. He’s worked in various roles over that time – a hitting coach, bench coach, outfield coach, and a manager. The former big leaguer saw action with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago White Sox in parts of five seasons from 2003-2007. His minor league playing career spanned from 1999-2010, including a year with the Reds organization. From 2011-2016 he played in Japan and the Mexican League, as well as winter ball in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico.
Luis Hernandez is returning to the coaching staff. Last season he served as the infield coach for the DSL Reds. It was his first season in the Reds organization. He ha managed in the Venezuelan Winter League, as well as serving as a positional coach for two other teams in the league. As a player he spent parts of five seasons in the Major Leagues, seeing time with the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, and Texas Rangers. His minor league career spanned from 2002-2015. After that he played winter ball in Venezuela through 2018, as well as two seasons for Bridgeport in the Atlantic League.
Rounding out the coaching staff is Sebastian Almonte. If the name sounds familiar it is because he was a player in the Reds farm system last year with the ACL Reds and Daytona Tortugas. Following the season he chose to retire. He played with the DSL Reds as an 18-year-old back in 2018.
The Breakdown
I wish there were some information available about whether any of these staff are prospects for ML roles.
Probably the best managerial prospect in the organization is Curt Casali.
Pat Kelly seems a candidate. The Reds have a way of rewarding loyalists. But, until Bell is gone, it’s kind of irrelevant. Casali seems like a future candidate. He’s stated his goal is to work in the FO. Field to FO seems like a nice progression. Prove you can manage, then move up.
Listening to both Giants and Mariners broadcasts the last year or so, they raved about Casali’s leadership abilities. Maybe this year we’ll see what Kelley can do with some actual talent on the roster?.
Dave my thought is Corky Miller the Catching Coordinator is the best Manager prospect in the organization.
I thought if Corky too. I wonder if he’d want a managers job?
I’d imagine that at this point if he wanted one he’d have gotten one – at least within the Reds farm system.
He told me at this point he likes roving as it gives him more time to spend at home in Chicago. There might be a different sentiment if MLB Managers salary was involved.
Wonder if Gookie Dawkins has moved on or will become a roving instructor?
This is the area that I wanted serious change. Didn’t happen! Reds aren’t spending their so called limited funds in any direction to improve this team or future teams. Should’ve been the one area where spending actually made sense, helping the pipeline to continue growing major league caliber players for years down the road. The Reds have a hard time developing players and with this minor league staff that will probably still be the case. I understand this is a thankless, hard and grueling job but was hoping the Reds would want to upgrade this area. But there is always hope or sale the team. Happy for Jefry Sierra, he just loves the game.