Diamondbacks Announce 2024 Player Development Staff

The Diamondbacks have announced their Player Development staff for the 2024 season. With former Director of Player Development Josh Barfield hired to be an Assistant General Manager for the Chicago White Sox, the D-backs tabbed Shaun Larkin to fill that vacancy. Beyond just changes at the top, there are also some minor league coaching shakeups to report. 

Player Development Staff

In addition to Larkin taking over at the top, Chris Slivka is replacing Matt Grabowski as the top assistant. Slivka joined the D-backs in 2016 out of college, working his way up the department as a pro scout (2019-2021) then a personnel analyst (2022-2023). The rest of the front office staff from the 2023 season was retained.

Barry Enright was hired by the Los Angeles Angels to be their pitching coach after spending the last two seasons as one of two assistants who played a transitioning role between the minors and majors. Shane Loux, who spent each of the past seven seasons in the D-backs organization, was not listed. There's no confirmation of where Loux ended up for 2024, but it's possible that he left with Enright to the Angels given the familiarity between the two. Kyle Driscoll has been tabbed as the organization's other Pitching Coordinator. Driscoll pitched four years at Rutgers (2013-2017) before working with Cressy Sports Performance (2018-2021) and then the Mets (2020-2023). He was the pitching coach for the Mets' Triple-A affiliate in the 2023 season.

Hugh Quattlebaum joins Rick Hedman and Drew Short as the hitting coaches. Quattlebaum replaces Nick Evans, who becomes the organization's field coordinator. The position was previously held by Blake Lalli, who will focus more on managing the D-backs Triple-A affiliate. 

The player development staff also includes former Diamondbacks Miguel Montero (2006-2014), Orlando Hudson (2006-2008), Nick Evans (2014), and Matt Herges (2005). Montero and Hudson are listed as Player Development Assistants while Herges is the Rehab and Complex League Pitching Coordinator.

The Mental Performance staff will also be retained in the same roles in 2024. 

Medical Staff

Mike Powell succeeds Kelly Boyce as the Minor League Medical Coordinator, with David Kau taking Powell's old role. Nate Friedman has been added as a Strength and Conditioning Rehab coordinator after serving as the main trainer for the Reno Aces. As a result, the Strength and Conditioning coaches below him were each promoted a level. Adam Brewer was also brought on as the Assistant Latin American Medical Coordinator, serving under Spencer Ryan. Brewer was the trainer for the D-backs Red affiliate in the Dominican Summer League in 2023. 

Minor League Coaching Staffs

Reno Aces (Triple-A)

Manager Blake Lalli, pitching coaches Jeff Bajenaru and Doug Drabek, and hitting coach Travis Denker will reprise their 2023 roles. It will be Lalli's third year as the Aces manager, previously serving as in that role in 2021 and 2023. Shawn Roof has been added to the staff as the bench coach. Roof has won championships managing in Visalia (2019) and Amarillo (2023). Paul Porter replaces Damon Reel as the trainer, with Bryan Dunlavey as the assistant trainer and Mitchell Ho as the Strength and Conditioning Coach.

Amarillo Sod Poodles (Double-A)

Tim Bogar takes over as the manager for Amarillo, replacing Roof. Bogar is a coaching veteran at the major league level, with 14 seasons of experience. He was the interim manager of the Texas Rangers to close out 2014, with a 14-8 record. Tom Gorzelanny and Termel Sledge will retain their role as the pitching and hitting coach respectively. Ronnie Gajownik, who served as the manager for Hillsboro in 2023, will return to Amarillo as the bench coach. Gajownik, who was the first woman to become a manager with an affiliated team, was the first base coach for Amarillo in the 2022 season. Connor Oates, who was the trainer for Visalia in 2023, replaces Chris Mudd with Ryan Harrel as the Strength and Conditioning coach.

Hillsboro Hops (Class A-Advanced)

Javier Colina, who served as an assistant coach for Amarillo in 2023, will be taking over as the manager in a role swap with Gajownik. Colina has previous managerial experience with Hillsboro in 2019, leading them to a Northwest League Championship that season. He was also the manager of the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League. Gabriel Hernandez and Ty Wright will reprise their 2023 roles as the pitching and hitting coach, with Mark Reed coming down from Reno to be the bench coach. Haruki Mukohchi will remain as the trainer with Nate Kolb as the Strength and Conditioning coach.

Visalia Rawhide (Class A)

Dee Garner will manage Visalia for the second straight season, with former farmhand Tyler Mark retained as the pitching coach. Brad Marcelino replaces David MacKinnon as the hitting coach and Jamie Del Valle replaces Rolando Arnedo as the bench coach. Marcelino is an outside hire, coming from the Seattle Mariners organization, while Del Valle served as the manager of the D-backs Red affiliate in the complex in 2023. Cat Widay succeeds Connor Oates as the trainer, coming from the complex league, with Wacy Crenshaw joining her. Wacy Crenshaw is the son of Ken Crenshaw, who has been a part of the D-backs medical staff since the 2005 season, whose younger brother was a 19th round pick in the 2023 draft.

Arizona Complex League

The D-backs will only have one team at the complex level, compared to two in 2023. Gift Ngoepe, who served as a coach on the ACL Black team, will replace Del Valle as the manager. Hatuey Mendoza keeps his role as the pitching coach and will be joined by Josh Goosen Brown on the staff. Adam Melhuse replaces KC Judge, Hugh Quattlebaum, and Xen Penny as the hitting coaches. Luis Silverio and Ronald Ramirez serve as coaches, with no specific title listed. John Pachot will remain as the main rehab coordinator, with Nate Bray as the main trainer and Harmen Bakker and Joe Leo as the Strength and Conditioning coaches.

Dominican Summer League

The D-backs will still have two affiliates in the DSL. Izzy Alcantara will remain the manager of the DSL Black squad while Luis Alen is promoted from catching coach to manager of the DSL Red team. Vladimir Frias will join the DSL Red staff as an assistant infield coach and Samuel Rivas as an assistant catching coach for DSL Black. Manuel Soliman and Josue Matos will remain as the pitching coaches for each team, Jean Carlos Rodriguez and Luis Sumoza as the hitting coaches, Fermin Ward as the DSL Bullpen Coach, and Alexis Candelario as the DSL Black Assistant Pitching coach. Adam Brewer will still retain his role as the DSL Red Trainer despite a bigger front office role and Mario Del Rosario for DSL Black. Santos Henriquez (Black), Joel Perez (Red), and Ricardo De Pablos (Red) will remain as the Strength and Conditioning coaches.