Gagne highlights Rangers' Minor League staffs
ARLINGTON -- Former National League Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagne will serve as the bullpen coach for the Nashville Sounds, marking the first time the Rangers have had a four-man coaching staff at the Triple-A level.
Gagne served as a pitching coach for the Rookie-level Arizona League Rangers last year. He will assist Nashville pitching coach Brian Shouse.
The Rangers announced the managers and coaches for their top four Minor League affiliates on Tuesday. The staffs for Class A Short Season Spokane, the Rookie-level Rangers and the Dominican Summer League have not been set yet.
The Rangers also announced Danny Clark will return as Minor League pitching coordinator for the 11th season. Other coordinators returning are Josue Perez (hitting), Dwayne Murphy (assistant hitting, outfield), Kenny Holmberg (infield), Jono Armold (roving pitching) and Jeff Andrews (special assignment, pitching).
The organization's medical staff at the Minor League level also returns in new roles. The staff includes Jason Roberts (coordinator, Minor League medical admin and research), Sean Fields (Arizona medical coordinator) and Chris Olson (international medical coordinator).
Here are the staffs at the four Minor League affiliates:
Team: Triple-A Nashville
Manager: Jason Wood
Coaches: Brian Shouse (pitching), Howard Johnson (hitting), Geno Petralli, Eric Gagne (bullpen)
Trainer and strength coach: Carlos Olivas, Al Sandoval
Notable: Wood has led clubs to the playoffs in five of eight seasons. Shouse is in his eighth season as a Rangers pitching instructor. Johnson is a former Major League hitting coach for the Mets and Mariners. This is Petralli's fifth year on the Triple-A staff.
Team: Double-A Frisco
Manager: Joe Mikulik
Coaches: Greg Hibbard (pitching), Jason Hart (hitting), Brad Flanders
Trainer and strength coach: Alex Rodriguez, Wade Lamont
Notable: This will be Mikulik's 21st year as a Minor League manager and fifth with Frisco. His professional career began in 1984 as a player in the New York-Penn League. Hibbard pitched in 165 games, including 158 starts, and won 57 for the White Sox, Cubs and Mariners from 1989-94 with a 4.05 career ERA. This will be Hart's eighth season as the Frisco hitting coach, while Flanders will be on the club's staff for the second straight year.
Team: Class A Advanced Down East
Manager: Corey Ragsdale
Coaches: Steve Mintz (pitching), Chase Lambin (hitting), Turtle Thomas
Trainer and strength coach: Luke Teeters, Adam Noel
Notable: Ragsdale will continue to serve as the Rangers' field coordinator in addition to managing the Wood Ducks. He led Hickory to the South Atlantic League title in 2015. Mintz managed the Adelaide Bite to the Australian Baseball League playoffs in '15-16 and '16-17. Lambin and Thomas are moving up from Hickory.
Team: Class A Hickory
Manager: Matt Hagen
Coaches: Jose Jaimes (pitching), Jared Goedert (hitting), Josh Johnson
Trainer: Bronson Santillan
Notable: Hagen spent four years playing for the Somerset Patriots in the independent Atlantic League in 2008-11. His manager there was former Rangers pitcher Sparky Lyle, and the Patriots won two league championships in those years. Jaimes is in his fourth season at Hickory, while Goedert is being promoted from Spokane. Johnson was the infield coach on the Padres Major League staff last season.