Steed promoted to High-A Rome Braves, Saunders returns to Braves

Former Ontario Blue Jays and Thunder Bay Border Cats coach Mike Steed (Burlington, Ont.) has been promoted to be the pitching coach of the High-A Rome Braves. Photo: James Mirabelli Photography

February 18, 2023

Official Atlanta Braves News Release

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves have announced the organization’s minor league coaching staffs and roving coordinators for the 2023 season.

The triple-A Gwinnett Stripers will be skippered by Matt Tuiasosopo for the third consecutive campaign, while hitting coach Carlos Mendez and coach Wigberto Nevarez also return to the staff. New to the bench will be pitching coach Craig Bjornson, who last season served as bullpen coach for the New York Mets, while Stevie Wilkerson joins as a coach for the club. Dan Leja and Dan Gaertner will serve as the club’s athletic trainers, while Tyler Enns will work as the club’s strength coach. Leja and Enns both served on Double-A Mississippi’s staff last season, while Gaertner returns to his role with the Stripers.

The Mississippi Braves, Atlanta’s double-A affiliate since 2005, will have a new manager for the 2023 season, as Kanekoa Texeira joins the club after skippering High-A Rome the previous two campaigns. Joining Texeira on the bench will be pitching coach Bo Henning, who reprises his role from last season, hitting coach Danny Santiesteban, who joins from High-A Rome, and coach Jefferson Romero. Greg Harrel will serve his first season with the club as athletic trainer, while Joe Powell will work as the strength coach.

The Rome Braves, who played their second season at the High-A level in 2021, will be managed by first-time skipper Angel Flores. The 36-year-old has coached in Atlanta’s system since 2019, including the 2022 season on the staff of Double-A Mississippi. Joining Flores on the bench will be pitching coach Mike Steed (Burlington, Ont.), who worked with Low-A Augusta last season, and hitting coach Garrett Wilkinson, who was on staff with the FCL Braves last year. Bobby Moore returns as a coach with the club. Joel Wiggins will work as the club’s athletic trainer after serving in the same capacity with the FCL Braves last year, while Kyle Hegedus will move from Low-A Augusta to take the role of strength coach.

The Single-A Augusta GreenJackets, in their third season as a Braves affiliate, will be helmed by Cody Gabella, who led the rookie-level FCL Braves in 2022. He will be joined by pitching coach Wes McGuire, who worked in Rome last season, while hitting coach Connor Narron returns to the GreenJackets staff. Francisco Diaz will serve as a coach with the club after spending the previous two seasons coaching in Miami’s system. Austin Smith will return as the GreenJackets’ athletic trainer in 2023, where he will be joined by Jesus Aviles, while Julian Rip will work as the club’s strength coach.

The rookie-level FCL Braves will have Nestor Pérez skipper the club, a role he held in 2019 and 2021, before managing Augusta last season. Elvin Nina and Einar Diaz will return as pitching and hitting coaches, respectively, while Lance Carter will also work as a pitching coach with the club. Wynston Sawyer, Luis Ugueto and Ben Revere will work as coaches on the staff. KB Clark joins returning athletic trainer Tom Adams on the staff, while Mike Wall will reprise his role as strength coach.

The DSL Braves will be managed by Maikol Gonzalez, while Francisco Martinez and Adam Wood will work as pitching and hitting coaches, respectively, for the club. Samuel Taveras will work as the assistant pitching coach, while Elvis Peña is set to serve as infield coach. Leandro Mateo will also work as a coach with the club. Dakota Fowee will serve as the athletic trainer, assisted by Luis Palomares, while Pedro Hernandez will work as the strength coach, assisted by Mario Anguizola.

Kevin Hooper will serve his second season as Atlanta’s director of player development, while Paul Davis returns in his role as the director of pitching development. The rest of the club’s coordinators are as follows: Matt Taylor (assistant pitching coordinator), Chris Swauger (field coordinator), Chris Antariksa (hitting coordinator), Greg Walker (hitting instructor), JD Closser (catching coordinator), Michael Saunders (Victoria, B.C.) (outfielder/baserunning coordinator), Jay Pryor (infield instructor), Tom Goodwin (minor league instructor), Devon Travis (minor league instructor), Doug Mansolino (advisor, player development), Terry Pendleton (special assistant, player development), Eric Hrycko (minor league medical coordinator), Toby Williams (assistant minor league medical coordinator), Johnny Passarelli (minor league physical therapist), Jonathan Pabon (assistant minor league physical therapist), Kevin McAvoy (rehab pitching coordinator), Jordan Sidwell (strength and condition coordinator), Ryan Meehan (assistant strength and conditioning coordinator), Eric Tucker (minor league performance dietician), Zach Sorensen (minor league mental skills coach) and Austin Merrill (minor league mental skills coach).