Rangers hire Bogar to be bench coach

The Rangers added Tim Bogar to their coaching staff on Monday, naming the 46-year-old as their new bench coach.

Bogar spent this past season managing the Angels' Double-A affiliate in Arkansas after being a part of the Red Sox's Major League staff, serving as bench coach (2012), third-base coach (2010-11) and first-base coach (2009).

He also served as the Rays' quality assurance coach in 2008, and managed in the Indians' (2006-07) and Astros' (2004-05) systems.

Bogar played for Rangers manager Ron Washington in the Mets organization, served on the Red Sox's staff with Rangers hitting coach Dave Magadan, played with pitching coach Mike Maddux on the 1993 Mets and was a teammate of third baseman Adrian Beltre on the 2001 Dodgers.

"Tim has a reputation for being a very smart player and equally so a great reputation in the game amongst everybody we talked to for being a great communicator, very prepared and generally a smart baseball mind," Rangers president of baseball operations and general manager Jon Daniels said. "Tim had options and chose to join us here in Texas and we're excited to have him aboard and feel it's a real strong way to kick off our offseason."

Bogar, whose Minor League teams reached their league championships four times in his five seasons at the helm, also will help with the infield duties.

"Tim is very conscious and he will do a tremendous job, I have no doubt about that," Washington said.

Bogar played nine years in the Majors with the Mets (1993-96), Astros (1997-2000) and Dodgers (2001).

"Being a member of the Boston Red Sox staff and with Tampa the year before that, I got to see this organization from afar and had high esteem for what was going on over here," Bogar said. "When I got the opportunity to sit with them and discuss their upcoming year, it was quite obvious to me that this was the place to be. Very impressed with what's going on, where they're headed, what they're doing and, most importantly, having the opportunity to be on Wash's [staff]."

Bogar's hiring leaves first-base coach as the one unfilled spot on the coaching staff. Daniels said the Rangers haven't yet started the interview process, but they will shortly.

Daniels also said the club has had discussions with all of their impending free agents, but said he expects all of them to reach the free-agent market.

Regarding Nolan Ryan's recent announcement that he will retire from his post as the club's chief executive officer as of Oct. 31, Daniels said Ryan's absence doesn't change the Rangers' plans going forward.

"Not directly it doesn't," Daniels said. "Obviously, Nolan was an experienced voice in the group and weighed in on our offseason decisions and in-season decisions in the past. In that standpoint it is what it is, but it doesn't change what we need to accomplish or how to go about it."