Things have been slow on the minor-league front, but yesterday we got news on who the coaches will be for 2016:
SYRACUSE
Manager – Billy Gardner, Jr. (returning)
Pitching Coach – Bob Milacki (returning)
Hitting Coach – Brian Daubach (reassigned from Harrisburg)
HARRISBURG
Manager – Matthew LeCroy (reassigned from Washington)
Pitching Coach – Chris Michalak (returning)
Hitting Coach – Brian Rupp (promoted from Potomac)
POTOMAC
Manager – Tripp Keister (returning)
Pitching Coach – Franklin Bravo (returning)
Hitting Coach – Luis Ordaz (promoted from Hagerstown)
HAGERSTOWN
Manager – Patrick Anderson (returning)
Pitching Coach – Sam Narron (returning)
Hitting Coach – Amaury Garcia (promoted from Auburn)
AUBURN
Manager – Jerad Head (Coach at GCL in 2015)
Pitching Coach – Tim Redding (returning)
Hitting Coach – Mark Harris (reassigned from Harrisburg)
GCL
Manager – Josh Johnson (new hire)
Pitching coach – Michael Tejera (returning)
Hitting coach -Jorge Mejia (returning)
DSL
Manager – Sandy Martinez (returning)
Pitching Coach – Pablo Frias (returning)
Hitting Coach – Jose Herrera (returning)
This may sound odd, but I think there’s something to the lack of a massive “reorg.” The Nationals claimed they wanted continuity with their longtime coaches when they sent Matt Williams and his staff packing in October. With just one new hire to the primary trio of managers and coaches — longtime minor-leaguer Josh Johnson, who spent six of his 12 seasons with the Nationals — we’re seeing the action that backs up those words.