Orioles’ 2025 coaching staff taking shape

The Orioles’ coaching staff for 2025 is close to being finalized. According to an industry source, the Orioles have settled on Cody Asche as their lead hitting coach for 2025.

Asche, who was the offensive strategy coach for the last two seasons, will be assisted by Tommy Joseph, who comes from the Seattle Mariners and Sherman Johnson, who had been the Orioles’ minor league hitting coordinator.

Ryan Fuller and Matt Borgschulte, the Orioles’ co-hitting coaches for the past three seasons, have moved on. Fuller will be the Chicago White Sox’s director of hitting under new manager Will Venable, and Borgschulte a hitting coach for the Minnesota Twins.

The Orioles have yet to announce replacements for bench coach Fredi González and major league coach José Hernandez, but those positions are expected to be filled shortly.

According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Orioles have shown interest in former Chicago Cubs manager David Ross as bench coach. Ross was abruptly fired a month after he completed his fourth season in 2023 so that Chicago could hire Craig Counsell.

Ross could replace González, who managed him with the Atlanta Braves in 2011 and 2012.

Ross had a 15-year career with seven teams and his last two years were in 2015 and 2016 with the Cubs when manager Brandon Hyde coached there.

Triple-A Norfolk manager Buck Britton and Double-A manager Roberto Mercado could be considered for a position on the staff as well. The Orioles do not currently have a Spanish-speaking coach.

Unlike Borgschulte, who never played professionally, and Fuller, who had a one-season stint in the Arizona organization, Joseph and Johnson played in the majors.

Joseph, who was Seattle’s assistant hitting coach in 2024, was hired by Scott Servais, who was dismissed in August and replaced by Dan Wilson.

Asche, who played five seasons, and Joseph were teammates on the 2016 Philadelphia Phillies.

Joseph hit 43 home runs and drove in 116 runs while hitting .247 with a .757 OPS in 2016 and 2017 with the Phillies as a first baseman, but the 33-year-old never played in the big leagues again.

The 34-year-old Johnson joined the Orioles’ organization as Bowie’s hitting coach in 2023 and worked with Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo. Johnson was often seen in the Orioles’ clubhouse during this season.

News of the coaching hires was first reported by MASNSports.com.

He had 10 hitless at-bats with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018 and ended his playing career in independent ball in 2022.

Asche, Johnson and Joseph join first base coach Anthony Sanders, who had 25 at-bats with Toronto and Seattle from 1999-2001, as the only current members of the coaching staff to play in the majors.

Pitching coach Drew French, assistant pitching coach Mitch Plassmeyer, pitching strategy coach Ryan Klimek, major league development coach Grant Anders, major league field coordinator/catching instructor Tim Cossins and third base coach Tony Mansolino did not play in the major leagues.

Chris Holt, who was Orioles’ director of pitching and pitching coach from 2021-2023 and solely the director of pitching in 2024, is joining the Boston Red Sox as their bullpen coach.

Rays going to Tampa for 2025

With Tropicana Field unable to host the Tampa Bay Rays in 2025 because of damage caused by Hurricane Milton, the Rays will play their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, spring training home of the New York Yankees.

It has yet to be decided whether the roof, which was badly damaged during the storm, will be repaired so that the Rays can return to The Trop in 2026.

The Rays were planning on breaking ground for a new stadium in St. Petersburg, next to Tropicana Field in January. That stadium would be ready for the 2028 season, but if the city decides to repair the roof, work on the new stadium would be delayed for a year.

Steinbrenner Field is the largest spring training facility in Florida. Its current capacity is 11,027.

The Orioles are scheduled to play the Rays from June 16^th-19^th and July 18^th-20^th. They’re also scheduled to play the Yankees at Tampa on March 11^th.

Notes: Corbin Burnes was named to the All-MLB first team. … The Orioles signed 26-year-old right-handed pitcher Robinson Martinez to a minor league contract. Martinez is 13-14 with a 4.92 in seven seasons of minor league ball in the Philadelphia and Miami organizations. He has not pitched above Double-A and has a 2.08 ERA in four games in the Dominican Winter League.

Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com.