Gabe Kapler not a part of Dodgers’ official new coaching staff
Rick Honeycutt will be back for his 11th season as Dodgers pitching coach.
It had been coming in piecemeal for weeks, but Thursday the Dodgers finally made their new coaching staff official.
At this point there were no real surprises, pitching coach Rick Honeycutt the only holdover from last season to join Manager Dave Roberts’ new staff. The rest of 2016 Dodgers coaching staff:
Bob Geren (bench coach), Turner Ward (hitting coach), George Lombard (first base), Chris Woodward (third base), Josh Bard (bullpen), Tim Hyers (assistant hitting) and Juan Castro (something new called quality assurance coach). Honeycutt will begin his 11th season as the Dodgers pitching coach. Steve Yeager will also return for his fifth season as the catching coach at home games.
What is missing from this lineup, of course, is Gabe Kapler. The Dodgers farm director was a finalist for the managerial opening and many had speculated he would be a part of Roberts’ new staff.
Geren, also one of nine candidates to replace Don Mattingly as the Dodgers’ manager, comes from the Mets, where he held the same bench coach position. The former catcher brings previous managerial experience to the dugout for rookie manager Roberts. Geren managed the A’s for four-plus seasons.
Ward had been the Diamondbacks hitting coach the past two seasons. Arizona led the National League in hits last season, and finished second in extra-base hits, runs and slugging percentage (.414).
Hyers was the Red Sox minor league hitting instructor for the past three seasons and Lombard their minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator. Woodward had been the Mariners first base coach the last two seasons. Bard had been a special assistant in the Dodgers front office for three years.
Castro spent the last two years as the Dodgers’ minor league infield coordinator. The Dodgers did not off an explanation as to what a quality assurance coach was.
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