Former Ranger Bobby Wilson hired as manager at Double-A Frisco, Matt Hagen promoted to field coordinator

Arlington, Texas -- The Texas Rangers today announced the managers, coaches, and staff for the club’s top five minor league affiliates in 2020, as well as the organization’s minor league coordinators.

Former Ranger Bobby Wilson returns to the organization as manager of Double-A Frisco, entering the coaching ranks after a 16-year playing career that included Major League stints with the Los Angeles Angels (2008-12), Arizona (2014), Tampa Bay (2015-16), Texas (2015-16), Detroit (2016, 2019), and Minnesota (2018). Matt Hagen assumes the role of field coordinator following three seasons as a manager at Short-A Spokane (2017) and Low-A Hickory (2018-19), where he led the Crawdads to a 83-52 record last season. Additionally, Carlos Cardoza has been promoted to manager of Hickory after winning the 2019 Arizona League championship at the helm of the Rookie-level Surprise Rangers.

Triple-A Nashville, Frisco, and Spokane will feature entirely new coaching staffs in 2020. Nashville’s manager will be announced at a later date. Greg Hibbard (Pitching), Chase Lambin (Hitting), and newcomer Tyler Graham (Coach) make up the rest of the staff. Hibbard spent the last two seasons as the pitching coach at Frisco. Lambin comes to the Nashville staff after one season at High-A Down East, as he has risen farm system levels each year since joining the organization in 2015. Graham, who reached the Major Leagues with Arizona in 2012, spent the last three years as the director of player development for the baseball program at his alma mater, Oregon State University. Carlos Olivas (Trainer) and Al Sandoval (Strength) return to the Sounds for their 12th and fourth seasons in the organization, respectively.

Wilson headlines a Frisco staff that includes Jeff Andrews (Pitching), Josue Perez (Hitting), and Jonathan Gelnar (Coach). Andrews enters his 17th season in the Texas organization, returning to a role he held with Frisco from 2009-15 prior to spending the last four seasons as a special assignment pitching coach. Perez served the last five seasons as the organization’s hitting coordinator following coaching stints at five levels of the Texas farm system since beginning his tenure in 2006. Gelnar, who will be in his first season in the Texas organization, has coached baseball at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma since 2013. Alex Rodriguez (Trainer) will be in his second campaign with the RoughRiders, while Wade Lamont (Strength) enters his fourth season at Frisco.

Josh Johnson will serve as manager of High-A Down East following one season as a coach at Hickory. Johnson has previous managerial experience with the Gulf Coast League Nationals (2016-17), and was the infield coach on the San Diego Padres Major League staff in 2018. Steve Mintz (Pitching) returns for his fourth season with the Wood Ducks, while Jared Goedert (Hitting) earned a promotion to Down East following one campaign as Hickory’s hitting coach. Luke Teeters (Trainer) returns for his second season with the Woodies, and Jon Nazarko (Strength) comes to the organization from the strength and conditioning staff at the University of Rhode Island.

Cardoza will be in his fifth season as a manager in the Texas organization, including stops with the Dominican League Rangers (2016-18) and Arizona League Rangers (2019). Cardoza’s clubs have combined to amass a 174-94 (.649) record during his managerial tenure. Jose Jaimes remains on staff for his fifth season as Hickory’s pitching coach, and will work alongside Jason Hart (Hitting) and newcomer Jay Sullenger (Coach). Hart has spent the last eight seasons as the hitting coach at Frisco. Sullenger was the head baseball coach at Biola University in La Mirada, California from 2013-18. Tyler Voas (Trainer) joins the Crawdads after serving as a trainer for the Dominican League Rangers in 2019. Andy Earp (Strength) is new to the Texas organization in 2020, as he most recently worked on the strength and conditioning staff at Clemson University.

Sean Cashman takes the reins of Spokane after one season as a pitching coach for the Arizona League champion Surprise Rangers. Also new to the staff are Bryan Conger (Pitching), Sharnol Adriana (Hitting), and Pat Brady (Coach). Conger was a pitching coach for the Arizona League Rangers in 2019, and Adriana returns stateside following two seasons as a coach for the Dominican League Rangers. Brady, who will be in his first year with the club, played seven minor league seasons as an infielder/outfielder in the Seattle Mariners organization and concluded his playing career in the Independent American Association in 2017. Yuichi Takizawa (Trainer) will be in his first season with the Indians following one campaign as a rehab athletic trainer at the Rangers’ Arizona complex, while Ed Yong (Strength) returns for his 12th season with Spokane.

On the coordinator staff, Hagen will work alongside returnees Kenny Holmberg (Infield) and Danny Clark (Pitching). Holmberg will be in his fifth season as infield coordinator, while Clark returns to his post for the 12th straight year. Rounding out the staff are Jono Armold (Pitching), Cody Atkinson (Hitting), Geno Petralli (Roving Coach), and Turtle Thomas (Roving Catching Coach). Armold, who will work jointly with Clark, spent 2019 with Texas as a roving pitching coach. Atkinson comes to the Texas organization from the Cincinnati Reds, where he was a hitting assessment/run production coach for player development in the Reds’ farm system in 2019. Petralli was a coach at Nashville last season, and Thomas joins the coordinator staff following one season as a coach for Down East.

Additionally, Allen Rowin has been promoted to Director, Dominican Republic Operations. Rowin, who joined the Texas organization in 2018 as Manager, Baseball Projects, was instrumental in the design, construction, and opening of the club’s Baseball Academy in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic over the last two years.

A look at the 2020 staff:

Nashville (AAA)
Manager TBA
Pitching Greg Hibbard
Hitting Chase Lambin
Coach Tyler Graham
Trainer Carlos Olivas
Strength Al Sandoval

Frisco (AA)
Manager Bobby Wilson
Pitching Jeff Andrews
Hitting Josue Perez
Coach Jonathan Gelnar
Trainer Alex Rodriguez
Strength Wade Lamont

Down East (High-A)
Manager Josh Johnson
Pitching Steve Mintz
Hitting Jared Goedert
Trainer Luke Teeters
Strength Jon Nazarko

Hickory (Low-A)
Manager Carlos Cardoza
Pitching Jose Jaimes
Hitting Jason Hart
Coach Jay Sullenger
Trainer Tyler Voas
Strength Andy Earp

Spokane (Short-A)
Manager Sean Cashman
Pitching Bryan Conger
Hitting Sharnol Adriana
Coach Pat Brady
Trainer Yuichi Takizawa
Strength Ed Yong

Coordinators
Field Matt Hagen
Infield Kenny Holmberg
Pitching Danny Clark
Pitching Jono Armold
Hitting Cody Atkinson
Roving Coach Geno Petralli
Roving Catching Turtle Thomas