Blue Jays announce 2020 minor league appointments

Former Toronto Blue Jays catcher Ken Huckaby has been named manager of the triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Photo: Buffalo Bisons/Twitter

January 31, 2020

Official Toronto Blue Jays Press Release

BLUE JAYS ANNOUNCE 2020 MINOR LEAGUE APPOINTMENTS

The Toronto Blue Jays have announced the following appointments to their High Performance and Player Development departments for 2020:

The Field Managers for the upcoming Minor League season will be Ken Huckaby (Buffalo-AAA), Cesar Martin (New Hampshire-AA), Donnie Murphy (Dunedin-High A), Luis Hurtado (Lansing-Low A), Brent Lavallee (Vancouver-Short-Season), Jose Mayorga (Bluefield-Rookie Advanced), Dennis Holmberg (Gulf Coast-Rookie), and Dane Fujinaka (Dominican Summer League).

The organization has made the following internal coordinator promotions: Matt Buschmann has been promoted to Director of Pitching Development while remaining as the Major League Bullpen Coach; Casey Candaele has been named Field Coordinator; Dallas McPherson has been named Skill Development Coordinator; John Tamargo Jr. has taken the role of Short-Season Field Coordinator; Cory Popham will serve as Pitching Programs Coordinator & GCL Pitching Coach; Matt Tracy has been named the Pitching Analysis Coordinator & GCL Assistant Pitching Coach; Harry Roberson has taken the role of New Hampshire Development Coach; David Aardsma has been named Rehab Pitching Coordinator; Michael Rivera will serve as an Assistant to Player Development; and Matthew von Roemer will serve as Technology Operations Coordinator.

New affiliate hires this season are: Phil Cundari as Pitching Coach for Lansing; Matt Hague as Swing Consultant & Hitting Coach for Dunedin; Ryan Wright as Hitting Coach for Lansing; David Howell as Development Coach for Buffalo; Taylor Hill as Development Coach for Dunedin; Reed Kienle as a Minor League Hitting Analyst; Zach Stewart as Minor League Assistant Coach & Batting Practice Pitcher; and Sonia De La Cruz as Education Coordinator.

Joining the High Performance department this year include: Brandon Stone as Sports Science Coordinator, who joins us from the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee; Matt Hunter as Vancouver S&C Coach; Tommy LaBriola as Bluefield S&C Coach; Kara Terry as Lansing’s Dietitian; Leila Hughel-Deeds as Dunedin’s Dietitian; Michael Moh as an Assistant Dietitian based out of the Performance Development Complex and the Dominican Republic; John Lannan as Mental Performance Coach for Dunedin and Buffalo, with Matthew Galvez covering Short-Season teams as an Assistant Mental Performance Coach; and Drew MacDonald in a dual role as a Major League Assistant & Athletic Training Coordinator.

The High Performance department has also had the following promotions and role changes: Scott Peters has taken a new role as Medical Research Coordinator; Phil Dimino as Rehab Coordinator; Michael Rendon as Assistant Athletic Training Coordinator; Jeremy Chiang as Nutrition Coordinator; Stephanie Wilson as Special Assistant, Nutrition; and Reeve Bergesen as High Performance & Player Development Project Manager.

Below is a complete list of the Blue Jays 2020 Player Development and High Performance staff.

BUFFALO 
Manager:Ken Huckaby
Pitching Coach:Jeff Ware
Hitting Coach:Corey Hart
Position Coach:Devon White
Development Coach:Jake McGuiggan
 David Howell
Trainer:Robert Tarpey
S&C Coach:Aaron Spano
Dietitian:Lauren Poole
NEW HAMPSHIRE 
Manager:Cesar Martin
Pitching Coach:Jim Czajkowski
Hitting Coach:Matt Young
Position Coach:Chris Schaeffer
Development Coach:Harry Roberson
Trainer:Caleb Daniel
S&C Coach:Brian Pike
Dietitian:Kat Mangieri
DUNEDIN 
Manager:Donnie Murphy
Pitching Coach:Antonio Caceres
Hitting Coach:Matt Hague
Position Coach:George Carroll
Development Coach: Taylor Hill
Trainer:Luke Greene
S&C Coach:Justin Batcher
Dietitian:Leila Hughel-Deeds
LANSING 
Manager:Luis Hurtado
Pitching Coach:Phil Cundari
Hitting Coach:Ryan Wright
Position Coach:Dave Pano
Trainer:Hiroki Yoshimoto
S&C Coach:Casey Callison
Dietitian:Kara Terry
VANCOUVER  
Manager:Brent Lavallee
Pitching Coach:Demetre Kokoris
Hitting Coach:Andy Fermin
Position Coach:Danny Canellas
Trainer:Brandon Hammerstrom
S&C Coach:Matt Hunter
BLUEFIELD  
Manager:Jose Mayorga
Pitching Coach:Rafael Lazo
Hitting Coach:Paul Elliott
Position Coach:Aaron Mathews
Trainer:Roelvis Vargas
S&C Coach:Tommy LaBriola
GULF COAST 
Manager:Dennis Holmberg
Pitching Coach:Cory Popham
Hitting Coach:Michel Abreu
Assistant Pitching Coach: Matt Tracy
TrainerJon Woodworth
S&C Coach:Taylor Haslinger
DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE
Field Coordinator:Pablo Cruz
Manager:Dane Fujinaka
Pitching Coach:Yoel Hernandez
Hitting Coach:Petr Stribrcky
Position Coach:Jose Mateo
Assistant Coach:Jesus Figueroa
Trainer:Alain Pacheco
Assistant Trainer:Ysidro Reyes
S&C Coach:Imbewer Alvarez
Asst S&C Coach:Roswell Del Rosario
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT 
Director, Player Development Gil Kim
Director, Minor League Operations Charlie Wilson
Assistant Director, Player DevelopmentJoe Sclafani
Field CoordinatorCasey Candaele
Short Season CoordinatorJohn Tamargo Jr.
Skill Development CoordinatorDallas McPherson
Hitting Coordinator Hunter Mense
Infield CoordinatorDanny Solano
Director of Pitching Development & Major League Bullpen CoachMatt Buschmann
Pitching Programs Coordinator & GCL Pitching CoachCory Popham
Pitching Analysis Coordinator & GCL Assistant Pitching CoachMatt Tracy
Rehab Pitching CoordinatorDavid Aardsma
Rehab Pitching CoachDarold Knowles
Player Development AnalystEvan Short
Equipment CoordinatorBilly Wardlow
Technology Operations CoordinatorMatt von Roemer
Special Assistant to Player DevelopmentTim Raines
Minor League Assistant Coach & Batting Practice PitcherZach Stewart
Education CoordinatorSonia De La Cruz
Minor League Operations Business ManagerMichelle Rodgers
Player Development & HP Operations AssistantWill Habib
Assistant, Player Development Michael Rivera
HIGH PERFORMANCE - DUNEDIN 
Vice President of High Performance Angus Mugford
Assistant Director of High PerformanceDehra Harris
Sports Science CoordinatorBrandon Stone
Medical Research CoordinatorScott Peters
Medical Coordinator Pat Chasse
Major League Assistant & Athletic Training Coordinator Drew MacDonald
Assistant Athletic Training CoordinatorMichael Rendon
Rehab CoordinatorPhillip Dimino
GCL ATC & Latin American Medical CoordinatorJon Woodworth
MiLB S&C Coordinator Steve Rassel
Minor League Strength & Conditioning Rehab CoordinatorKyle Edlhuber
Head of Mental PerformanceBen Freakley
Mental Performance CoachRob DiBernado
Mental Performance CoachRafael Dubois
Mental Performance Coach (Dunedin & Buffalo)John Lannan
Assistant Mental Performance CoachMatthew Galvez
Special Assistant Nutrition Stephanie Wilson
Nutrition CoordinatorJeremy Chiang
Assistant Dietitian (Dunedin Complex & DR)Michael Moh
EAP DirectorSam Lima
Florida Physician CoordinatorTed Farrar
High Performance & Player Development Project ManagerReeve Bergesen




Toronto Blue JaysCBN Staff