And they have their work cut out for them
Although names began to be leaked to the media over the past several weeks, new GM Mike Elias and rookie Manager Brandon Hyde made it clear they were not confirming any hires until the day the entire coaching staff was constructed. Apparently today was that day as the team announced who would be helping Hyde turn the Orioles sinking ship around. Lets take a look at a few of the newest Orioles.
Pitching Coach : Doug Brocail
Brocail served as pitching coach for Houston Astros in 2011 and 2012, giving him a clear connection to Elias who was Houston's Director of Amateur Scouting at the time. Under Brocail's guidance Houston's pitching staff placed 28th and 25th in the league in earned run average (ERA). Given that the Astros were midway through their tank at the time,
it's natural to dismiss the poor performance. However, Brocail was reassigned to special assistant in 2013, making me wonder if he failed to help the Astros' young pitchers develop. Most recently, he served as the Texas Rangers pitching coach from 2016 to 2018, where his staff posted a 4.65 ERA over a three year span. It will be interesting to see how he does with the Orioles in 2019 especially since the bullpen will be filled with young pitchers and the last two spots of the rotation will likely be filled by rookies or players in their first full season.
Hitting Coach : Don Long
Luckily for him, it doesn't look like Don Long, who most recently served as Hitting Coach for the Reds, has any past with relationship with Chris Davis, meaning he won't be anointed by the Baltimore beat writers to exorcise whatever demons destroyed Davis' ability to make contact. Oh what hope Scott Coolbaugh brought many moons ago. Long does have a tough challenge in front of him, however. The team is likely to start rookies in Right Field, Shortstop, and Center Field as well as second year players at Catcher and Third Base. Helping the likes of DJ Stewart, Cedric Mullins, and Drew Jackson adjust to major league pitching will be a tough task and ultimately one that decides how long the rebuild lasts. No pressure Don.
Catching Instructor : Tim Cossins
Although Manager Brandon Hyde did not name a bench coach, it is likely Cossins will serve that role along with catching instructor. He previously worked in the Cubs' organization as minor league field and catching coordinator, giving him a clear connection to Hyde. Like Long, he also faces a tough task, especially because the Orioles currently do not have a veteran catcher on the roster. If the season started today Chance Sisco and Austin Wynns would be the team's catching tandem. While Wynns is polished defensively, Sisco is very much a work in progress and struggles to throw out runners and frame pitches. We'll see if working with Cossins helps in 2019.
The Rest of the Staff
Arnie Beyeler and Jose Flores will serve as first and third base coaches respectively. John Wasdin will be the bullpen coach while Jose Hernandez will serve as a sort of roving coach with no defined role. The only holdover from the previous regime is new assistant hitting coach, Howie Clark, who was part of the Norfolk Tides coaching staff in 2018.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I ascribe to a wait and see approach with coaches and reserve judgment until I've seen how they work with players. Ultimately the results will speak for themselves. As a side note, the only coach from the previous staff I mind losing is Bobby Dickerson. He was well respected and a very good infield instructor, responsible for coaching the Orioles infield into a top unit in 2013 and 2014. He has since moved onto the Phillies.
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