Red Sox announce personnel moves in player development and Minor League field staffs
BOSTON, MA – The Boston Red Sox today announced personnel moves in the Player Development department, as well as 2020 field staffs for their minor league affiliates.
Red Sox Vice President of Player Development Ben Crockett made the announcements.
Shawn Haviland has been promoted to Pitching Coordinator, Performance. The Middletown, CT native and graduate of Harvard University was originally hired by the club as Pitching Performance Coach prior to the 2019 season. A former right-handed pitcher, he played nine minor league seasons after being selected by Oakland in the 2008 June Draft, including two stints in the Red Sox organization with Triple-A Pawtucket in 2015 and 2017.
Chris Mears also has been promoted to Pitching Coordinator, Performance. Both Mears and Haviland will work throughout the system with data and technology implementation. Mears had been a pitching crosschecker for the Red Sox since 2015, after serving as an amateur scout for the organization from 2008-15. Mears was selected by Seattle in the fifth round of the 1996 June Draft and made each of his 29 major league appearances (three starts) for Detroit in 2003.
Reed Gragnani was named Assistant Hitting Coordinator. In this role, he will assist Hitting Coordinator Greg Norton with data and technology implementation throughout the system. The Richmond, VA native most recently served as the Red Sox’ Mid-Atlantic Area Scout in 2018 and 2019, after spending the 2017 season with High-A Salem as an assistant coach. Gragnani played four seasons in the Red Sox minor league system (2013-16) after being selected in the 21st round of the 2013 June Draft, advancing as high as Triple-A Pawtucket in 2015.
Chris Stasio was hired as Assistant Coordinator, Baseball Development, returning to the organization where he worked in player development and advance scouting roles in 2014, 2016, and 2017. The Northeastern University graduate began his career in baseball as an intern with the New York Mets in 2014 and most recently served as a professional scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018 and 2019.
Jordan Elkary has been hired as Assistant, Baseball Development. In his new role, the Springfield College graduate will work with Stasio as conduits between Baseball Analytics and Player Development. Prior to joining the Red Sox, Elkary worked for the Colorado Rockies in 2018 as Minor League Video Assistant and for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2019 as Affiliate Video Intern.
Jake Chaplin enters his first season as Mental Skills Coach, after spending last season as Mental Skills Intern working with Short-A Lowell. Following a two-year playing career in the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league system, the New York native was an assistant coach in the Haverford College (2013-15) and New York University (2015-17) baseball programs. He also served as Mental Performance Intern with Emerson College from 2017-18.
Pawtucket (Triple-A, International League)
Billy McMillon enters his 13th season in the Red Sox organization (2008-20), his second as manager for Triple-A Pawtucket. The 2020 season will be his eighth as a minor league manager, having also served in that capacity for Single-A Greenville (2010-11), High-A Salem (2012-13), and Double-A Portland (2014-15). Bruce Crabbe will remain on the staff as an additional coach for the seventh consecutive season, extending his tenure with the organization to 16 years (2005-20). Rich Gedman will continue as the club’s hitting coach for his sixth year in that role and 10th with Red Sox minor league clubs. In December 2019, it was announced that Gedman will be inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2020.
Joining the PawSox staff and entering his 10th season in the Red Sox organization is Pitching Coach Paul Abbott, who previously served in that same capacity for Double-A Portland (2018-19), High-A Salem (2015-17), Single-A Greenville (2013-14), and Short-A Lowell (2011-12). David Herrera enters his second season as Pawtucket’s athletic training coordinator, his 13th season with the organization (2008-20). Chris Messina was promoted to Pawtucket’s strength and conditioning coach prior to the 2019 season and will return to that role.
Portland (Double-A, Eastern League)
Joe Oliver enters his seventh season as a minor league manager in the Red Sox organization, his second with Double-A Portland. Lance Carter joins the Sea Dogs as Pitching Coach for what will be his sixth season in the organization in that role, having previously worked with Short-A Lowell (2015-17) and High-A Salem (2018-19). Also new to the Portland staff is Hitting Coach Lance Zawadzki, who joined the organization in 2018 with Lowell before serving as Salem’s hitting coach in 2019. Entering his fifth season in the Red Sox’ system, Scott Gallon will continue as the Sea Dogs’ athletic trainer after moving into that role in 2017. Ben Chadwick, who was promoted to Portland prior to the 2019 season, returns for a second season with the Sea Dogs. Frankie Rios, who played in the Red Sox system in 2017 and 2018, will join the staff as an additional coach.
Salem (High-A, Carolina League)
Corey Wimberly returns for a second season as High-A Salem’s manager, his third year in the Red Sox organization. In 2019, he led Salem to the Carolina League Northern Division title, as the club went a league-best 42-28 in the season’s second half. Veteran hitting coach Nelson Paulino will return to Salem’s staff in his 23rd season coaching in the organization (1998-2020), having previously worked with the High-A club in 2013 and from 2016-18. Joining the Salem staff is Pitching Coach Brett Merritt, who most recently served in that role for the College of Central Florida during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Athletic trainer Nick Kuchwara, who joined the staff in 2016, will return in the same capacity in 2020. He will once again be joined by Joe Hudson, who returns for a second season as the club’s strength and conditioning coach. Matt O’Neil, a former infielder for the University of Rhode Island, also joins the staff as an additional coach.
Greenville (Single-A, South Atlantic League)
Iggy Suarez returns for a third season managing Single-A Greenville, marking his sixth season in the organization and his fifth as a minor league manager. Entering his 22nd year in the Red Sox organization, Bob Kipper will return as Greenville’s pitching coach, having also served in that role with the Drive from 2005-06, 2008-09, and 2018-19. Joining the Drive staff is Hitting Coach Josh Prince, who spent the 2019 season as a player/coach for the Sugar Land Skeeters in the independent Atlantic League. Prince was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the third round of the 2009 June Draft and reached the major leagues in 2013. Bobby Stachura returns for a second season as Greenville’s athletic trainer, having joined the organization as an intern in 2017. Also returning to the Drive staff is Strength and Conditioning Coach Richard De Luna, who joined the organization in 2018 after serving in the United States Marine Corps from 2012-17. John Shelby III joins the coaching staff after most recently serving as the Assistant Baseball Coach at the University of Kentucky.
Lowell (Short-A, New York-Penn League)
Returning to Short-A Lowell for a second season is Manager Luke Montz, who made his coaching debut in 2018 with Double-A Portland. Last season, Montz led the Spinners to the Stedler Division title and a 42-34 record in the regular season. Remaining in the role of pitching coach is Nick Green, who joined the Red Sox organization in 2015. Nate Spears will return as hitting coach for a fourth year after spending 2016 as a coaching assistant with Greenville. Taylor Boucher returns as Lowell’s athletic trainer for a second season. Aly Gonzalez joins the Spinners staff after spending the 2019 season as an assistant with Boston.
Gulf Coast League Red Sox (Rookie, Gulf Coast League)
Tom Kotchman enters his seventh season as manager of the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, having spent 40 total seasons as a minor league manager and scout. 2003 American League Rookie of the Year Angel Berroa will continue to serve as an additional GCL coach for his third season. Miguel Bonilla returns as Pitching Coach, having joined the organization prior to the 2019 season. Veteran GCL pitching coach Dick Such will resume his seasonal role assisting the GCL pitching staff.
Junior Zamora will return as hitting coach, entering his sixth year in that capacity after seven years as a bench coach for the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Red Sox. Mickey Jiang, who has been coaching in the Red Sox’ system since 2009, will continue with the GCL club as a coach and interpreter. Joel Harris returns for a second season with the GCL club as Athletic Trainer while also serving as the organization’s Assistant Athletic Training Coordinator. Kirby Retzer also returns to the GCL staff for a second season as a strength and conditioning coach based in Fort Myers, also working with players on rehabilitation assignments. Michael Montville, founder of PowerHouse Sports in Seabrook, New Hampshire, joins the staff as an additional coach.
Dominican Summer League Red Sox (Rookie, Dominican Summer League)
Jose Zapata will return for his 14th season as the Red Sox’ Latin American field coordinator. Ozzie Chavez and Sandy Madera return to manage the two Dominican Summer League clubs, after they both made managerial debuts in 2019. Last season marked Madera’s first working in the Red Sox organization, while Chavez began his coaching career in 2015 as a hitting coach for the DSL Red Sox.
Returning as the DSL clubs’ hitting coaches in 2020 will be Carlos Adolfo—who enters his fifth season in the organization—and Eider Torres, who joined the DSL Red Sox last season. Oscar Lira and Humberto Sanchez will continue as the program’s pitching coaches, with Lira entering his ninth season in the role and Sanchez beginning his third. Also returning to the staff are Claudio Sanchez and Leonel Vasquez as additional coaches. Guillermo Hinojosa will return for his 11th season as athletic trainer, while Mario Anguizola and Antonio Diaz will resume their roles as strength and conditioning coaches. Jharvyn Velazquez will begin his first season as the DSL Red Sox’ athletic trainer after interning with the club last year.