Orioles announce 2024 minor league and player development staffs (updated)

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

February 07, 2024, 10:12am

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The Orioles today announced their minor league coaching and player development staff assignments for the 2024 season. Three full-season managers return, but two move to different affiliates.

Buck Britton will return for his third season as manager of the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. In 2023, he led the Tides to a record of 90-59 as they won the International League championship and the Triple-A National Championship Game. Last year, he was the winner of the Orioles’ Cal Ripken Sr. Player Development Award.

Roberto Mercado moves up to Double-A Bowie to serve as manager after leading High-A Aberdeen the last two seasons. In 2022, he took Aberdeen to the playoffs and won the Ripken Sr. Award.

Felipe Rojas Alou Jr. will move up to manage Aberdeen. He has been with the O’s organization for 16 years and managed Single-A Delmarva the last two seasons.

Collin Woody will be a first-time manager, taking over at Delmarva. He served as a fundamentals coach the last two seasons in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League.

Christian Frias returns as FCL manager for his third season there. The O’s two managers in the Dominican Summer League return in Chris Madera and Elbis Morel. The O’s will once again field two DSL clubs.

At Norfolk, Britton will be joined on his staff once again by pitching coach Justin Ramsey, who enters his sixth season in the organization and third with Norfolk. Ramsey will also serve as minor league upper-level pitching coordinator for a third straight year in addition to his position with the Tides. Newcomer and former University of Maryland product Mike Montville joins Norfolk as hitting coach after serving as assistant hitting coach with Triple-A Worcester (Red Sox) in 2023. Fundamentals coach Ramón Sambo and development coach Joshua Rodrigues each return in their roles, with Sambo entering his fifth season in Norfolk and 18^th with the O’s. The athletic trainer is Alan Rail while Jon Medici is strength and conditioning coach. Seth Ellanson has been named assistant athletic trainer and Adam Sehlmeyer returns as clubhouse manager.

At Bowie, Austin Meine joins the Baysox as pitching coach after serving in the same role with the IronBirds last year. Hitting coach Josh Bunselmeyer makes the jump from Delmarva. Fundamentals coach Chase Sebby and development coach Billy Facteau join Bowie from Aberdeen. Their athletic trainer is Julio Ibarra with Sam Sauer back as strength and conditioning coach while Jon Weinberg returns as clubhouse manager.

At Aberdeen, pitching coach Jordie Henry joins the IronBirds staff from the FCL Orioles and hitting coach Zach Cole returns to Aberdeen in the same position for a third season. Fundamentals coach Charles Bolden joins the organization after serving as head baseball coach at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire for the last three years. Development coach Ryan Goll is back at Aberdeen after spending last season with Bowie. He will also serve as offseason camp coordinator. Athletic trainer Tori Atencio and strength and conditioning coach Chris Frosch are back with Aberdeen and Ross Stovall returns as clubhouse manager.

At Delmarva, pitching coach Andy Sadoski and hitting coach Christian Poulsen move to Delmarva from the FCL. Daniel Fajardo, who spent eight years as a player in Baltimore’s farm system, returns as Delmarva’s fundamentals coach, while Calvin Christiansen will be a development coach after spending two seasons as a minor league technology coordinator. Griffin Pyott will be athletic trainer while Juan Sanchez returns for a second season as strength and conditioning coach and Mason Gomez will be the new Delmarva clubhouse manager.

The O's FCL squad returns pitching coach Adam Bleday after one year with the Shorebirds while new coach Brandon Bailey will also be a pitching coach. Bailey was an O’s Rule 5 selection in 2019. Teegan Leader and Julian González will be the hitting coaches. Tim DeJohn returns for his third season in the organization as fundamentals coach. He will also serve as minor league infield coordinator in addition to his role with the FCL team. Landon Lassiter will also be an FCL fundamentals coach. Richard Cosgrove and Casey Day will be development coaches. Sara Padilla will serve as athletic trainer while Julio Diaz is strength and conditioning coach/complex strength and conditioning coordinator for a second season in a row, overseeing both Sarasota and the Dominican Academy. Gabe Sanchez will be the other FCL strength and conditioning coach. Nate Snyder and Matt Henderson are clubhouse managers.

As for the Dominican Summer League clubs, Dioni Pascual and Bailey Vuylsteke both return as pitching coaches. Jake Ratz and new hire George Bell, son of the 1987 American League MVP, will serve as hitting coaches. Miguel Jabalera and Ramón Lubo are back as fundamentals coaches while Nick Kropidlowski joins the staff as development coach. Maggie Hunt and McKenna Peterson will be the athletic trainers while Daniel Vargas and Will Reichel will be the strength and conditioning coaches. Jose Frias returns as DSL equipment manager.

Orioles' player development staff:

Matt Blood – vice president, player development and domestic scouting

Kent Qualls – director of minor league operations

Anthony Villa – director of player development

Chris Holt – director of pitching.

Ramón Alarcpón – coordinator of minor league operations

Anaíma García – education coordinator

Matt Packer – complex coordinator of instruction

Rancel Rosado – Dominican academy administrator

Samuel Vega – Latin American field coordinator

Jeff Kunkel – minor League field coordinator

Joe Botelho – manager of player development technology and initiatives