Without the ability to make player transactions during the sport's lockout, the Red Sox have used the last few weeks to piece together their 2022 coaching staff.
The team announced the hiring of Luis Ortiz and Ben Rosenthal as assistant hitting coaches while also promoting Pete Fatse from assistant hitting coach -- the role he had held the previous two seasons -- to hitting coach. The team lost hitting coach Tim Hyers, who turned down a contract to join the Texas Rangers.
The team also promoted Ramon Vazquez from quality control coach to first base coach. Vazquez has been on the staff since 2018, when he began a three-year stint as staff coach/interpreter.
First base coach Tom Goodwin, who had been on the staff since 2018, was not invited back for 2022 in October. Vazquez took over first base duties during the season when Goodwin was twice sidelined by COVID issues, and again in the postseason when the unvaccinated Goodwin was ineligible to be on the field.
The team also gave enhanced roles to Andy Fox, who had been the minor league field coordinator from 2011 to 2021. Mike Brenly, the team's bullpen catcher from 2016-2021 has been named a staff assistant.
"I feel fortunate to work with such a talented and diverse group of coaches,'' said Alex Cora in a statement. "In addition to Luis and Ben bringing fresh perspectives from outside our organization, I'm excited for the new opportunities presented to Pete, Ramon, Mike (and) Andy.''
BSJ ANALYSIS
The Red Sox join the growing list of teams who will have three hitting coaches on staff for 2022. Previously, they had utilized two, with Hyers as the primary hitting instructor and Fatse designated as an assistant coach. Even before Hyers left, a plan was in place to have Hyers and Fatse work in tandem as co-coaches.
Instead, with Hyers gone, Fatse gets the title as primary hitting coach with Rosenthal and Ortiz as assistants.
Ortiz played 16 games for the Red Sox between 1993-1994 after having been drafted by the Sox in 1991. He later spent two seasons with the Rangers before continued his playing career in Japan before returning for seven more seasons in the minors.
Oritz, ironically, had repaced Hyers as the Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach in 2018 after Hyers left to join the Sox. Ortiz then spent the last three seasons as the Rangers' hitting coach. Ortiz also spent time working as a minor league coach and coordinator for the Rangers, Cleveland Indians and San Diego Padres.
Rosenthal spent the last five seasons as a coaching assistant in the Houston Astros system, with the last three years spent at Triple-A Sugar Land. He played two seasons in the minors in the St. Louis Cardinals as a lefty-hitting catcher.
The increased focus on analytics and the sheer amount of time spent focused on hitting has led to the expansion of major league coaching staffs. At times, the duo of Hyers and Fatse was spread thin, attending to 13 (or more) position players, all of whom seek input and individual attention to help them combat slumps and fix holes in their swings.
Fox has spent 12 seasons in the Red Sox system after a nine-year playing career.
