Mariners finalize Minors coaching staffs

SEATTLE -- The Mariners have finalized their Minor League coaching staffs for their four affiliates over the past week. Among those teams, three managers are in their first year in those roles at their respective affiliates, and many of their subordinates have either been promoted from lower-level affiliates from within or brought from the outside. Basically, many of these clubs have a new look heading into 2022.

Below is a breakdown of each of Seattle's Minor League staffs.

Triple-A Tacoma

For the third straight year, the Mariners will have a new-look coaching staff at Triple-A Tacoma. The club on Monday announced that contingent, which will report to manager Tim Federowicz, who was hired in December. Federowicz replaced Kristopher Negrón, who was promoted to the big league staff in November.

An eight-year big leaguer who played as recently as 2019, the 34-year-old Federowicz hung up his cleats this past summer after competing for Team USA at the Olympics in Tokyo, where he received a silver medal after the club’s runner-up finish to host Japan.

“I am thrilled to join the Seattle Mariners' organization as manager of the Tacoma Rainiers,” Federowicz said in a statement. “I look forward to leading and further developing our players at the Triple-A level, and to working with Brad, Alon, Zach and the rest of our staff.”

Here is a breakdown of the Rainiers coaching staff for 2022:

• Tim Federowicz (manager): A graduate of the University of North Carolina, where he was teammates with Kyle Seager and Dustin Ackley, Federowicz was a seventh-round Draft pick by the Red Sox in 2008. He played a bulk of his career with the Dodgers, though he hopped around to the Cubs, Giants, Astros, Reds and Rangers also, hitting .192/.241/.328 (.568 OPS) over 163 games. The longtime catcher also played in 709 Minor League games over 13 seasons.

• Brad Marcelino (hitting coach): He begins his first year in the Mariners' organization after working as a private hitting instructor in the San Diego area since 2018, where he assisted several pro and college players. Prior, he was the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator for the University of San Diego from 2012-18.

• Alon Leichman (pitching coach): He enters his sixth season with Seattle and first as pitching coach for Tacoma, taking on a promotion after spending the past two seasons in the same role for Double-A Arkansas. And prior to that, he worked in the same capacity for Class A West Virginia for a season in ’19 and for the DSL Mariners in ’18. He was on the coaching staff for Team Israel during the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

• Zach Vincej (coach): He begins his first season as a coach with the Mariners, but he has ties with the club as a player, having suited up for 109 games for Tacoma in 2018. That same year, he played in one big league game for Seattle. Over parts of eight seasons, the Pepperdine University graduate played in 788 Minors games.

• Michael Feliciano, ATC (athletic trainer): This will be his first year in his new role at Tacoma but his fifth overall in the Mariners' organization.

• Michael Sadler (strength/conditioning): This marks a promotion, as he spent last season in the same role for Double-A Arkansas.

The Rainiers last year won the first Triple-A West title after the Minor League restructuring led to the elimination of the Pacific Coast League, where they played from 1960-2020. Negrón, who was in his first year managing in any professional capacity, was named the league’s Manager of the Year. Tacoma went 73-47.

Beyond beginning his first gig as a manager, Federowicz will also be operating with automated strike zones (or “robot umpires”), which will be used at 11 Triple-A venues this year, including Cheney Stadium.

Double-A Arkansas

Arkansas will have some continuity in 2022 after Seattle's front office announced that Collin Cowgill will return for his second season as manager. Last year, Cowgill, who played parts of six big league seasons, led the Travelers to a 64-56 record.

This affiliate is arguably the most intriguing in Seattle's farm system given that its where many of the Mariners' Top 30 prospects will begin the season.

Here is a breakdown of the Arkansas staff:

• Collin Cowgill (manager): The 35-year-old made his managerial debut in 2021 after hanging up his cleats in '20, a year in which he competed in Spring Training with the Mariners but did not play during the eventual shortened season that begin in July. Cowgill played with five teams in the big leagues from '11-16 and parts of 12 seasons in the Minors after being drafted by Arizona during the fifth round in 2008.

• Shawn O’Malley (hitting coach): This is his third season in the organization and first in his new role having been promoted from High-A Everett, where he was the hitting coach in 2021. Prior, he was the hitting coach for Modesto (when it was still High-A) before the cancellation of the Minors season in '20. O’Malley’s professional career spanned 13 seasons, including parts of three in the Majors, with a stint in Seattle from '15-16.

• Sean McGrath (pitching coach): Entering his third season with the Mariners, he was also promoted from Everett and Modesto, and before joining Seattle, he spent two years as pitching coach at Elon University from 2018-19, where he oversaw top Mariners pitching prospect George Kirby.

• Geoff Jimenez (coach): He's been promoted from Low-A Modesto, where he spent his first season in the organization in 2021. Prior, he was with the Phillies' player development staff in '20, and he also logged five years of coaching in the college ranks from '15-19, most recently as the recruiting coordinator/assistant coach at Maryville University in St. Louis.

• Amanda Lee (athletic trainer): She returns for her fourth season in the organization.

• Chris Walter (strength/conditioning): He joins Seattle after a stint as the Major League strength and conditioning coordinator for the Tigers from 2015-20.

High-A Everett

• Eric Farris (manager): This is his first season in his new position and fifth in the Mariners' organization, having been promoted from the same role at Low-A Modesto, where he oversaw the Nuts to a 64-51 record. Prior, he was manager for Class A West Virginia in 2020 before the cancelation of the Minors season, and he served as hitting coach for West Virginia in '19 and hitting coach for the AZL Mariners in '18. Farris appeared in 963 career Minors games over nine seasons, and he appeared in 14 big league games with Milwaukee. Farris was a fourth-round pick by Milwaukee in the 2007 Draft out of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

• Ryan McLaughlin (hitting coach): This marks his second season in the organization and first as hitting coach for Everett after serving as a coach for Arkansas last year. In 2020, he was on a player contract with Seattle but did not appear in a game due to the cancelation of the Minors season. Prior to joining Seattle, he spent '19 working for Wareham Gateman Baseball out of Wareham, Mass. McLaughlin played college ball at New York University from '16-19.

• Matt Pierpont (pitching coach): He begins his first season in the organization. In 2021, he signed a Minor League contract with Seattle but did not appear in a game. He made 222 career Minors appearances in the Rockies' organization from '13-19, going 28-15 with a 2.83 ERA with 100 walks and 345 strikeouts over 331 innings. Pierpont was selected by Colorado in the 26th round of the 2013 Draft out of Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.

• Jose Umbria (coach): He begins his 12th season in the organization and his second as coach for Everett. The 2018 Dave Henderson Minor League Staff Member of the Year, Umbria has coached at six affiliates for Seattle since 2010. The Barquisimeto, Venezuela, native appeared in 475 career Minors games in the Blue Jays' organization from 1996-2005, winning the '04 Eastern League Championship while playing for Double-A New Hampshire.

• Aric Quinney, ATC (athletic trainer): He embarks on his third season in the organization and his second in his current role.

• Brennan Mickelson (strength/conditioning): He begins his fourth season with Seattle, also returning to Everett in the same role he held in 2021.

Low-A Modesto

• Austin Knight (manager): He enters his sixth season in the Mariners' organization and first as Modesto's manager. Knight managed the ACL Mariners in 2021 and was scheduled to manage the DSL Mariners in '20 prior to the cancellation of the Minors season, which would've continued the role he held in '19. He opened the '18 season as a volunteer coach at Dallas Baptist University and rejoined the Mariners as an assistant hitting coach with Modesto. In '17, he was the hitting coach for then Short-Season Class A Everett.

• Michael Fransoso (hitting coach): He begins his third season in the organization and first as hitting coach for Modesto. He spent the 2021 season in that role for the ACL Mariners and was scheduled to be hitting coach for Everett prior to the Minors season being canceled in '20.

• Nathan Bannister (pitching coach): This is his fourth season as a coach in the organization and second in his current role. He was scheduled to be the pitching coach for Class A West Virginia in '20, and he spent '19 as a coach with the DSL Mariners. A 28th-round selection by Seattle in '16, he appeared in 54 games from '17-18 in the Mariners' system.

• Ryan Scott (coach): He's entering his first season as an affiliate coach in the organization, having joined Seattle in 2020 following his retirement as a seven-year Minor Leaguer with the Dodgers, Angels and Mariners ('17-18), playing mostly as a catcher.

• Dan Laberry (athletic trainer): He returns for his second season as Modesto’s athletic trainer.

• Jose Alcantara Beas (strength/conditioning): This is his second season in the organization and first in his new role, having served in the same capacity with the DSL Mariners last season.

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