KC Royals announce minor-league coordinators, support staff ... including several promotions
Before the end of last season, the expectation was pretty clear that the Kansas City Royals would shake up both their major-league staff and minor-league staff in the offseason.
In both cases, they also kept and promoted individuals they felt were key to future success.
The club announced its full slate of minor-league coordinator and support staff assignments on Wednesday morning.
Promotions on the minor-league staff include Drew Saylor taking on the title of director of hitting performance, Scott Thorman becoming the minor-league field coordinator after having managed the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers last season and Nate Adcock shifting from a pro scout role to assistant director of pitching performance/scouting.
Saylor has worked alongside senior director of hitting performance and major-league hitting coach Alec Zumwalt to help revamp the organization’s hitting development since the end of the 2019 season. The Royals farm system has seen great success and significant strides among its hitters, including several top prospects, during that time.
Zumwalt joined the major-league staff in May after the club fired hitting coach Terry Bradshaw.
At the end of the season, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo announced that Zumwalt and the hitting staff would remain in place after Picollo fired Mike Matheny as manager.
The Royals interviewed Thorman for the manager position in the majors this offseason following one season at Triple-A, two seasons managing at Double-A, a season at High-A and two seasons at Low-A, three seasons in Rookie League as a manager (two years) and bench coach (one year).
The field coordinator position had previously been part of Mitch Maier’s job title as director of player development/field coordinator.
Adcock, a former Rule 5 Draft pick of the Royals, rejoined the organization following the 2019 season as a scout.
As The Star reported in December, Adcock will work under Paul Gibson, who returns as the senior director of pitching performance and will begin his 13th season in the organization in 2023.
Many familiar places
The player development staff will also include longtime veteran coaches in special assistant to the general manager Rafael Belliard, special assistant to the general manager/player development Chino Cadahia and special assistant to player development Harry Spilman.
Belliard enters his 45th season in professional baseball, including 20 years as a player. Cadahia will enter his 47th season in professional baseball, and 2023 will mark 51 years involved in professional baseball for Spilman.
Other staff announcements included Paul Menhart joining the organization as a pitching advisor. He’d been the Washington Nationals pitching coach in 2019-20. Nic Jackson returns for his second season as the assistant hitting coordinator, and Abraham Núñez will become assistant hitting coordinator/Latin America.
Will Simon, entering his 17th season with the organization, becomes the director of operations in Arizona. Justin Hahn returns for his second season as the director of medical services/physical therapy. Erika Wincheski returns for a second season as director of sports nutrition.
Justin Kemp returns as the minor league medical coordinator. Jarett Abell returns as the strength and conditioning/rehab coordinator. J.C. Boscan returns as the minor-league catching coordinator. Brittany Bozzini enters her first year as the performance science coordinator after a season as the sports performance assistant. Sebastián Cambó returns as the behavioral science coordinator. Omar Ramírez becomes the Arizona field coordinator. Victor Baez returns as the Dominican Academy field coordinator. Brendan Sexton becomes the minor-league video coordinator.
Phil Falco returns as assistant strength and conditioning coordinator. Tony Medina returns as the minor-league/Latin America medical assistant coordinator and Joey Manana becomes the assistant strength and conditioning coordinator/Latin America.
Justin Friedman, who enters his second season with the organization, becomes the assistant manager of pitching.
Jorge Guzman returns as the Arizona Complex Assistant/Life Skills Coach. Fabio Herrera returns as manager of international operations. Monica Ramirez returns as the education/ESL and Latin American initiatives coordinator. Massiel Rodriguez returns as assistant to Dominican Operations, while Susana Richardson returns as the Dominican Academy administrative assistant. Logan Gudde returns for a second season as the physical therapist.
This story was originally published January 11, 2023 at 11:48 AM.
