Minnesota Twins 2018 minor league staff assignments

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The Minnesota Twins have completed hires and assignments for the 2018 minor league coaching staff. Here is a look at how the staff shapes up.

The Minnesota Twins have recently announced their full minor league staff for the 2018 season. There was certainly a lot of movement throughout the system as plenty of familiar coaches were moved around or are no longer in the Twins system altogether. Below is the rundown of how the coaching staff will line up.

CINCINNATI, OH – JULY 12: Coach Joel Skinner /

Rochester Red Wings

Manager: Joel Skinner

Hitting Coach: Chad Allen

Pitching Coach: Stu Cliburn

Bullpen Coach: Mike McCarthy

As the Rochester Red Wings say goodbye to their manager of the past three years, Mike Quade, they welcome in their staff for the 2018 season. The Red Wings staff will be led by Joel Skinner who comes to Rochester with a variety of coaching and managing experience.

Skinner didn’t coach in 2017 but most recently served as manager of Single-A Winston-Salem and Triple-A Charlotte in the Chicago White Sox system. Skinner’s “peak” in his managing and coaching career was serving as the Cleveland Indians interim manager in 2002 after the firing of Charlie Manuel. While with the Indians major league staff Skinner had served as bench coach, third base coach, and catching instructor. He also was with the Oakland Athletics major league staff in 2011 as their bench coach.

Over Skinner’s 12 minor league seasons as a manager, his teams have gone 860-777. He was also named Minor League Manager of the Year by both Baseball America and The Sporting News in 2000. Skinner was awarded the same recognition by USA Today in 1998.

Skinner is being joined by another new Red Wings coach, bullpen coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy was a pitcher himself, drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2011 out of California State-Bakersfield. Chad Allen is returning as hitting coach for the Red Wings where he has continued to perform well for the Twins organization as there was his name was brought up when the major league hitting coach position was open last offseason. Pitching coach Stu Cliburn will also be returning for his third season with Rochester and will likely see some of the very good 2017 Chattanooga pitching staff come his way and be tasked with polishing their approaches so they can contribute in the majors soon.

Chattanooga Lookouts

Manager: Tommy Watkins

Hitting Coach: Javier Valentin

Pitching Coach: Ivan Arteaga

The big news of the double-A Chattanooga Lookouts staff was as the official press release terms it, the retirement of Jake Mauer and then open manager position for 2018. The Twins have chosen to promote 2017 Cedar Rapids Kernel manager, Tommy Watkins to that position.

In Watkins’ first season as manager, he was able to lead the Kernels to a 75-65 record. The Kernels were able to make it as far as the Midwest League Semifinals. Watkins’ 2018 move to the Lookouts is the most recent in a back and forth he has had between the two clubs. In 2016 Watkins served as the Lookouts hitting coach while before that in 2013-2015 served in the same position with the Kernels.

Watkins originally became a part of the Twins organization as a player. He was drafted in the 38th round of the 1998 draft and played third base and shortstop. He was slowly brought through the Twins system and did get a shot in the major leagues in 2007. In 9 games he was able to have an impressive .357/.438/.357 slash line, which was much better than his minor league performances had been. After those games, he returned to the minors through 2009 before becoming a coach in 2010 with the Beloit Snappers, the then Twins Low-A Affiliate.

Returning to the Lookouts as a part of Watkins’ staff are Hitting Coach Javier Valentin and Pitching Coach Ivan Arteaga. Both coaches had successful 2017 seasons as they lead an impressive Lookouts team. Artaega was the leader of the best pitching staff in the Southern League and was able to help guide potential 2018 major league contributors such as Stephen Gonsalves, Fernando Romero, Felix Jorge, and Gabriel Moya to name a few. Arteaga will also have an opportunity to build on what was a successful 2017 from the offense of the Lookouts after working with the likes of Nick Gordon and LaMonte Wade.

Fort Myers Miracle

Manager: Ramon Borrego

Hitting Coach: Steve Singleton

Pitching Coach: Henry Bonilla

As for the High-A Fort Meyers Miracle, the Twins have promoted former GCL Twins manager, Ramon Borrego to be the Miracle’s manager. In 2018, Borrego will begin his 22nd season with the Twins organization. Since 2011 he has been the manager of the CGL Twins going 35-23 this past season with the team.

Borrego originally joined the Twins as a player in 1995 when he signed as an undrafted free agent. Borrego never made the major leagues as a Twin but played with their minor league affiliates through the 2002 season. He then was hired and has filled several different coaching roles through the Twins system starting in 2004 at the Twins Venezuelan Baseball Academy.

Henry Bonilla will begin his third season as the Miracle Pitching Coach and is reunited with Borrego from their time with the 2012 GCL Twins. The place Bonilla got his start coaching in the Twins system. Bonilla is also a former player for the Twins as he was drafted in the 8th round of the 2000 draft and played 10 seasons as a minor league player.

Another Borrego reunion will happen as Steve Singleton begins his second season as the hitting coach in Fort Meyers. He began coaching in the Twins system in 2016 with Borrego’s 2016 GCL Twins. Singleton started his professional baseball career after being drafted by the Twins in the 11th round of the 2006 draft out of the University of San Diego and also spent time in the Philadelphia Phillies system.

Cedar Rapids Kernels

Manager: Toby Gardenhire

Hitting Coach: Brian Dinkelman

Pitching Coach: Cibney Bello, Justin Willard

As Tommy Watkins moves onto Chattanooga, Toby Gardenhire will assume the post as the Kernels manager. Gardenhire is, of course, the son of former Twins manager and newly hired Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire.

The younger Gardenhire started his professional baseball career after being drafted by the Twins in the 38th round of the 2002 draft. He played in the minors through the 2011 season making it as high as Triple-A Rochester. In 2012 Gardenhire made the move to coaching and became the head baseball coach at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. 2017 was his first professional coaching season where he served as hitting coach for the GCL Twins.

Brian Dinkelman returns for his third season as Kernels Hitting Coach, and his fourth season coaching in the Twins minors after getting his start with the GCL Twins. As a player, Dinkelman was drafted in the 8th round out of McKendree University. He spent most of his career in the minors but did make it to the majors in 2011 where he appeared in 23 games hitting .301/.346/.315.

Cibney Bello and Justin Willard both join the Kernels for their first season with the team as pitching coaches. Bello was serving in the same role with the GCL Twins. Willard comes over from Radford University where he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

Elizabethton Twins

Manager: Ray Smith

Hitting Coach: Jeff Reed

Pitching Coach: Luis Ramirez

Coach: Takashi Miyoshi

While every one of the other minor league squads has had quite the shakeup to their staffs, the Rookie-ball Elizabethton Twins will be returning many of the same coaches. Ray Smith enters his 25th season with the E-Twins. Jeff Reed has been with him for what will 17 of those 25 seasons with the E-Twins. Luis Ramirez enters his 4th season with the team while Takashi Miyoshi becomes the lone new member of the staff.

GCL Twins

Manager: Dan Ramsay

Hitting Coach: Luis Rodriguez

Hitting Coach: Matt Borgschulte

Pitching Coach: Virgil Vasquez

Dan Ramsay steps in to take Borrego’s place as manager with the GCL Twins. Ramsay comes to the Twins organization for Whitworth University where he has coached for the past nine years. Virgil Vasquez has been around the Twins minor leagues for a while and will start his 4th season as pitching coach of the GCL Twins. Twins fans likely recognize the name Luis Rodriguez who was an infielder with the Twins from 2005-2007 and hit .243/.311/.339 over that time frame. He will serve as the hitting coach with the GCL Twins alongside Matt Borgschulte.

Next: Twins sign Taiwanese pitcher

Minor League Coordinators

Edgar Varela-Minor League Field Coordinator

Bob McClure-Senior Pitching Advisor

Rick Eckstein-Minor League Hitting Coordinator

Sam Perlozzo-Minor League Infield/Baserunning Coordinator

Pete Maki-Minor League Pitching Coordinator

J.P. Swanson-Minor League Assistant Pitching Coordinator

Tanner Swanson-Minor League Catching Coordinator

Mike Quade-Minor League Outfield Coordinator

Chad Jackson-Minor League Rehab Coordinator

Two interesting names out of this list are Bob McClure and Pete Maki. McClure joins the Twins after serving many seasons as a major league pitching coach. Most recently McClure was with the Phillies and is also a former teammate of Twins manager Paul Molitor. Maki comes to the Twins from Duke where he has coached for the past two seasons as their pitching coach. He will be taking over Eric Rasmussen‘s position after he was let go by the Twins this offseason.

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