Minor, Manto among latest dismissals from Orioles (updated)

The changes in various departments in the Orioles organization, reaching down to the lower levels of the minors, continued today with the firings of at least eight more employees.

According to sources, the Orioles are parting ways with minor league hitting coordinator Jeff Manto, minor league catching coordinator Don Werner, special assignment pitching instructor Ramón Martinez, Single-A Frederick manager Ryan Minor, Keys pitching coach Justin Lord and hitting coach Bobby Rose, short-season Single-A Aberdeen development coach Jack Graham and Rookie-level Gulf Coast League field coach Carlos Tosca.

Contracts are expiring after Oct. 31 and the Orioles continue to reshape the organization under executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias.

The firings, or non-renewals, are done now at least in part to increase the chances of the individuals finding new jobs.

Today's moves come about two weeks after the Orioles dismissed 11 members of the organization, primarily in scouting but also including director of baseball operations Tripp Norton.

Also let go were scouts Dean Albany, Jim Howard, Dave Engle, Adrian Dorsey, John Gillette, Dave Machemer, Mark Ralston, Nathan Showalter, Dan Durst and Frankie Thon.

Everyone who's been impacted is a holdover from the previous front office. Elias was hired in November.

Minor and Manto played for the Orioles, the former replacing Cal Ripken Jr. on the night that the future Hall of Famer voluntarily ended his record consecutive games streak on Sept. 20, 1998.

Minor managed Single-A Delmarva for seven years and Frederick for three. Manto played in 89 games with the Orioles in 1995 and spent six seasons as minor league hitting coordinator.

Manto became the 24th player in major league history to hit four home runs in four at-bats and only the second to do it in three games, along with the Yankees' Johnny Blanchard in 1961. He earned the nickname "Mickey Manto."

The Orioles hired Martinez on March 4, 2015 to work on developing Latin American pitchers throughout the organization. He pitched 14 seasons in the majors, spending time with the Dodgers (1988-98), Red Sox (1999-00) and Pirates (2001), and went 135-88 with a 3.67 ERA in 301 games.

Werner joined the Orioles organization in 2003 as a coach on Delmarva's staff. He managed Double-A Bowie in 2005-2006 before the Orioles offered him the job of minor league catching instructor.

Werner, 66, was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in March 2014. He missed the season while undergoing treatments but returned to work in the fall instructional league and was back in camp the following spring.

Tosca served as GCL manager for the past two seasons before changing roles to field coach and minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator. Alan Mills replaced Tosca as manager and led the team to the league's best record.

Lord was the Shorebirds pitching coach the past two summers and held the same title at Aberdeen from 2014-16. Rose was hired as Delmarva hitting coach prior to the 2018 season.

The Orioles drafted Graham in the 38th round in 2015 out of Slippery Rock University and hired him as Frederick's field coach in 2018. He's the son of former Orioles director of player development Brian Graham, who was fired on Nov. 30 with a year remaining on his contract.

Update: The Orioles also informed international scout Calvin Maduro that his contract won't be renewed.

Maduro pitched for the Orioles from 2000-2002 after they signed him as an amateur free agent in 1991.

Update II: Scott McGregor, who spent the last eight seasons as pitching rehabilitation coordinator in Sarasota, also was told today that his contract wouldn't be renewed.

McGregor also has served as a pitching coach in the minors and fill-in bullpen coach for the Orioles. He went 138-108 with a 3.99 ERA in 13 seasons with the Orioles and was on the mound for the final out in the 1983 World Series.

McGregor had just joined the club from Sarasota over the weekend.