White Sox Player Development Staff Changes for 2020

By / / Analysis

Earlier this week, the White Sox announced their 2020 Player Development Staff, which includes everyone from Director Chris Getz through the rovers and coordinators to the affiliate managers and coaching staffs. Most of the names are the same, though many have moved around and are new to their upcoming assignments. And there are a few additions to the crew.

Let’s start with the farm-wide assignments – names and roles that have changed since last season are bolded:

Player Development Staff

  • Director of Player Development: Chris Getz
  • Senior Director/Minor League Operations: Grace Guerrero Zwit
  • Field Coordinator: Doug Sisson
  • Pitching Coordinator: Everett Teaford
  • Assistant Pitching Coordinator: Everett Teaford
  • Assistant Pitching Coordinator: J.R. Perdew
  • Hitting Coordinator: Ben Broussard
  • Assistant Hitting Coordinator: Ryan Johansen
  • Catching Coordinator: John Orton
  • Performance Coordinator: Goldy Simmons
  • Senior Biomechanical Engineer: Ben Hansen

Assistants To Player Development

  • Manager, Player Development: Rod Larsen
  • Manager, Player Development: Graham Harboe
  • Assistant, Player Development: Rafael Santana
  • Assistant, Player Development: Tommy Thompson
  • Assistant, Player Development: Diego Francisco
  • Rehab Pitching Coordinator: Steve McCatty
  • Education Coordinator: Erin Santana
  • Latin/Cultural Development Coordinator: Anthony Santiago
  • Quality Control: Zach Jones, Nate Pearson, Devin Pickett

Medical Staff

  • Medical Coordinator: Scott Takao
  • Physical Therapist/Rehab Coordinator: Derek Garris
  • Physical Therapist: Brooks Klein
  • Strength and Conditioning Advisor: Dale Torborg

Arizona Operations

  • Facility Manager: Joe Lachcik
  • Minor League Clubhouse/Equipment Manager: Dan Flood
  • Assistant Manager: Bryant Biasotti
  • Assistant, Player Development/Latin Education Assistant: Grant Flick

Everett Teaford and Ben Broussard were both with the organization last year but their roles have expanded starting in 2020. Teaford will serve as the organization’s pitching coordinator and Broussard will take over as the hitting coordinator. Ryan Johansen was stationed in Kannapolis as an assistant hitting coach last year and he’s listed as an assistant hitting coordinator for 2020.

He runs Johansen Baseball out of South Elgin IL, and his co-worker Nate Pearson is also joining the organization as a quality control coach. Goldy Simmons was drafted by the White Sox way back in 2009 and he takes over as a Performance Coordinator. Ben Hansen has also been hired as the official Senior Biomechanical Engineer of the Chicago White Sox. Steve McCatty will serve as the Rehab Pitching coach in Arizona after being the pitching coach at AAA Charlotte the past two seasons. And now onto the affiliates.

Charlotte Knights (AAA)

  • Manager: Wes Helms
  • Pitching Coach: Matt Zaleski
  • Hitting Coach: Howie Clark
  • Coach: Mike Daniel
  • Trainer: Cory Barton
  • Performance: Shawn Powell

Gastonia, N.C. native Wes Helms takes over the manager role for the Knights after serving as the bench coach in BIrmingham last year. The 43-year-old former big leaguer is replacing Mark Grudzielanek who served as the manager in Charlotte for the previous three seasons. Matt Zaleski takes over as the pitching coach after spending last year in Winston-Salem with the Dash. Howie Clark joins the organization after spending the last two seasons as the assistant hitting coach with the Baltimore Orioles. Mike Daniel played 7 minor league seasons and enters his first year in the White Sox’s organization. Shawn Powell is the only returning staff member from 2019.

Birmingham Barons (AA)

  • Manager: Justin Jirschele
  • Pitching Coach: Richard Dotson
  • Hitting Coach: Charlie Romero
  • Coach: Devin DeYoung
  • Trainer: Hyeon Kim
  • Performance: Tim Rodmaker

Justin Jirschele takes over the manager spot from the departed Omar Vizquel after serving as the manager for the Winston-Salem Dash in 2019. The venerable Richard Dotson returns to the Barons as their pitching coach in 2020 along with Tim Rodmaker as the conditioning coach. Charlie Romero joins the Barons after working as an assistant hitting coach in the Dominican Summer League in 2019. Devin DeYoung joins the organization after working in the Red Sox’s system last year and previously with the Windy City Thunderbolts. Kim was the trainer in the Winston-Salem last year.

Winston-Salem Dash (A+)

Ryan Newman is taking over as the manager for the Dash after serving in the same capacity in Kannapolis last season. Former big league pitcher Danny Farquhar joins the Dash as a pitching coach after an 8 year career in which he posted a 3.93 ERA over 272.2 innings pitched. Charlie Poe has been the hitting coach in Winston-Salem for five of the last six seasons and George Timke returns to the same post. Carson Wooton worked in the same capacity with the Great Falls Voyagers in 2019.

KANNAPOLIS Cannon Ballers (A)

  • Manager: Guillermo Quiroz
  • Pitching Coach: Jose Bautista
  • Hitting Coach: Cole Armstrong
  • Coach: Patrick Leyland
  • Trainer: Joe Geck
  • Performance: Kevin Childs

It’s the first year of existence for the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in the South Atlantic League and they’ll be led by first year manager Guillermo Quiroz in 2020. The 38-year-old skipper is a 10 year major league veteran and he served in multiple capacities with the Charlotte Knights in 2019. He’ll be joined by pitching coach Jose Bautista and hitting coach Cole Armstrong as they return to Kannapolis this season. Athletic trainer Joe Geck is returning as well. Other new additions to the staff are Patrick Leyland and Kevin Childs. Leyland was a development coach for the Delmarva Shorebirds last year and they were the MILB Team of the Year. Patrick is the son of longtime major league manager Jim Leyland. Childs joins the White Sox organization after serving in the same capacity with the Seattle Mariners from 2016-2019.

Great Falls Voyagers (Hi-RK)

  • Manager: Mike Gellinger
  • Pitching Coach: John Ely
  • Hitting Coach: Cameron Seitzer
  • Trainer: Jeremy Kneebusch
  • Performance: Tyler Gniadek

Mike Gellinger was previously serving as the minor league hitting coordinator for the organization and he will now take over as the manager in short season rookie ball. John Ely and Cam Seitzer are returning in their previous roles as pitching and hitting coaches as well. Tyler Gniadek returns as the performance coach and Jeremy Kneebusch is new to the organization.

AZL White Sox (Lo-RK)

Ever Magallanes ad Felipe Lira return to a staff that will preside over many of the younger international prospects recently added to the White Sox’s system. The only change on this coaching staff is the addition of Drew Hasler as a 2nd pitching coach.

Dominican Republic Academy

  • Academy Supervisor: Louis Silverio
  • Field Coordinator: Guillermo Reyes
  • Office Manager: Carolina Santos
  • Complex Operations Coordinator: Manuel Santana
  • Manager, Catching Coordinator: Angel Rosario
  • Pitching Coach: Leo Hernandez
  • Hitting Coach: Gerardo Olivares
  • Assistant Pitching Coach: Jose Brito
  • Assistant Hitting Coach: Angel Gonzalez
  • Outfield Coach: Julio Ramirez
  • Trainer: Sergio Marte
  • Performance: Jonathan Hasbun

The majority of this staff stays the same but former White Sox’s farmhand Louis Silverio is now in charge of operations at the academy.

1 thought on “White Sox Player Development Staff Changes for 2020”

  1. Wayne from Fort Wayne

    You have Teafor listed twice:
    Pitching Coordinator: Everett Teaford
    Assistant Pitching Coordinator: Everett Teaford

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