Ensberg named Durham manager as Rays announce '24 Minor League staffing

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays announced their Minor League staff assignments on Tuesday, featuring three new managers in the Minors and a handful of new hires on the player development staff.

Morgan Ensberg will take over as the manager for Triple-A Durham, as previously reported, after spending four seasons managing Double-A Montgomery. The 48-year-old, an All-Star third baseman for the Astros in 2005, led Montgomery to the postseason in each of his four years at the helm. Ensberg was promoted to replace Michael Johns, who joined Tampa Bay’s big league staff as the first-base coach in November.

“The season can’t get here soon enough. I’ve heard great things about the fans, the park and the city," Ensberg said in a statement. “We have incredible players. I love watching them play.”

Filling Ensberg’s spot with Montgomery will be Kevin Boles, who spent last summer managing the Princeton WhistlePigs in the collegiate Appalachian League. Boles, 49, spent the previous four years in the Mets' organization, serving as the Triple-A Syracuse manager in 2022, Minor League field coordinator in '20-21 and Double-A Binghamton manager in ’19. He made his managerial debut as a 25-year-old with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Marlins in 2000, and went on to work with the Twins (2004-07) and Red Sox (2008-18).

Finally, Héctor Giménez was promoted to manager of the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Rays after spending last season as a coach with the FCL team. Giménez, 41, previously managed the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Tampa Bay affiliate in 2022 after serving as an assistant hitting coach and catching instructor for the DSL Rays in '21. He played professionally for 16 seasons and appeared in 37 Major League games; he was in the Rays’ Spring Training camp in 2008, but spent the season in the Minors.

Rafael Valenzuela is set to return as the manager for High-A Bowling Green, with Sean Smedley back as Single-A Charleston’s manager.

The Rays announced three new hires for Minor League coordinator and roving instructor roles, including longtime reliever Tony Watson as roving pitching instructor. The 38-year-old Watson, a 2014 All-Star for the Pirates who pitched 11 seasons in the Majors, retired in '22 after last pitching for the Giants in '21.

The club also added pitching coordinator Buddy Carlyle, who had been with the Angels, and pitching coordinator of performance development Christian Wonders, who had been in a sports science role with the Padres.

The Rays hired five new Minor League coaches: Triple-A assistant hitting coach Tyler Ladendorf, Single-A hitting coach Brett Schneider, FCL hitting coach K.C. Judge, FCL coach Chris Roberson and process and development coach Elliot Cox.

Among many internal staff changes, hitting coordinator Steve Livesey was named hitting research and video coordinator. Wuarnner Rincones is now a roving hitting instructor after spending last season as Montgomery’s hitting coach. Hitting coach Paul Rozzelle was promoted from High-A to Double-A. Brett Ebers became Durham’s bullpen coach. And three coaches were shifted to Bowling Green: Perry Roth as bench coach, Jim Paduch as pitching coach and Braxton Martinez as hitting coach.