Rays add ex-outfielder Span to front office

The Rays on Tuesday announced six full-time hires and a series of promotions within their baseball operations department, including the addition of longtime Major League outfielder Denard Span as a special assistant.

Span is a native of Tampa, Fla., and a former first-round Draft pick out of Tampa Catholic High School. He played 43 games for the Rays in 2018, the final season of his 11-year career. Span hit .281 with a .745 OPS, 490 RBIs and 185 stolen bases over 1,359 games with the Twins, Nationals, Giants, Rays and Mariners.

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In his new role, Span, 36, will work with groups inside the Rays’ baseball operations department and be available as a sort of sounding board for players at every level of the organization.

The Rays also hired Allison DeKuiper as an assistant for performance science, Rigo De Los Santos as a Dominican Republic regional crosschecker and area scout for Santo Domingo, Carlos Herazo as a pro scout, Jonah McElwee as an assistant for Major League food services and Isha Rahman as an assistant for Minor League operations.

The Rays also promoted from within to replace former clubhouse managers Ryan Denlinger (now with the Pirates) and Guy Gallagher (Angels). Former equipment manager Tyler Wall is now the club’s head home clubhouse and equipment manager, and Brandon “Tank” Richesin was named the head visiting clubhouse manager.

Additionally, Justin Su’a was named head of mental performance after two years as the Rays’ Major League mental skills coach. He previously spent four seasons as the mental skills coordinator for the Red Sox and three seasons as the Cleveland Browns’ mental performance coach.

Tampa Bay also made the following title changes and promotions within the baseball operations department:

• Brandon Cordell: Developer III, baseball systems
• CJ Elger: Senior database architect, baseball systems
• Luke Fair: UI/UX developer II, baseball systems
• Lauren Griffin: Product designer II, baseball systems
• Ryan Kelley: Developer II, baseball systems
• Hamilton Marx: Director, baseball operations
• Daniel Nolan: Developer III, baseball systems
• George Pappas: Assistant director, Minor League operations
• Ryan Pennell: Manager, performance science
• Brian Plexico: Senior director, baseball systems
• Giovanna Rodriguez: Senior administrator, Minor League and international operations
• Victor Rodriguez: Area scout/international crosschecker
• Simon Rosenbaum: Assistant director, Minor League operations and baseball development
• Taylor Smith: Lead analyst, baseball research and development
• Lenore Sutton: Education coordinator
• Michael Topol: Analyst, baseball research and development
• Avery Wilkening: Developer II, baseball systems