BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles have announced a change in their coaching staff, appointing Robinson Chirinos as the new bench coach under manager Brandon Hyde, effective Monday.
Chirinos, who is 40 years old, had an extensive career as a Major League catcher, spanning eleven seasons until 2022, when he concluded his career with the Orioles. Over his time in the league, he played in a total of 714 games and achieved a batting average of .226, while hitting 95 home runs and driving in 306 runs. His career included stints with the Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and finally, the Orioles.
Fredi González, the previous bench coach, has been a part of the Orioles’ coaching staff for five years, including the last three in the role of bench coach. At 60, González has prior managerial experience with the Florida Marlins from 2007 to 2010 and the Atlanta Braves from 2011 to 2016.
The Orioles wrapped up the season in second place within the American League East division, finishing with a record of 91-71. This marked their sixth season under Hyde’s leadership, although they faced challenges with injuries among their pitching staff and were eventually eliminated after a sweep by Kansas City in the American League Wild Card Series.
Cody Asche will be taking on the position of hitting coach after serving two seasons as the offensive strategy coach. He will succeed Ryan Fuller and Matt Borgschulte in this role. Additionally, Tommy Joseph, who recently held an assistant hitting coach position with Seattle, will assume the same role with the Orioles.
Sherman Johnson has been elevated to assistant hitting coach and upper-level hitting coordinator, moving up from his previous role as minor league upper-level hitting coordinator. Meanwhile, Buck Britton will join the major league coaching staff after managing in the Orioles’ developmental system at various levels, including Class A Delmarva, Double-A Bowie, and Triple-A Norfolk.
Most of the previous coaching staff will continue in their existing roles. This includes Drew French as pitching coach for his second season, Mitch Plassmeyer as assistant pitching coach, and Ryan Klimek in his third year as the pitching strategy coach. Other returning coaches include Tony Mansolino as third base coach, Anthony Sanders as first base coach, Grant Anders as major league development coach, and Tim Cossins as major league field coordinator and catching instructor, who is in his seventh season with the organization.