Diaz, Espy will not return in ’19

Rockies manager Bud Black will have at least two offseason positions to fill on his staff.

Colorado announced that first base coach Tony Diaz will be joining the Twins staff to become their third base coach under new manager Rocco Baldelli.

Diaz, 41, just completed his second season on Colorado’s major league staff under Black after spending the 17 prior seasons as a minor league coach or supervisor in the Rockies organization. He also was a mentor to many of the Latino players on the Rockies and served as the team’s Spanish interpreter.

Diaz views the move to Minnesota as a great opportunity for his future in baseball.

“It’s the next step in my career,” Diaz said. “I’ll have more responsibilities with the Twins.”

Diaz wanted to thank both the Rockies organization and the fans for how he was treated during his time in Colorado, as well as the minor leagues.

“The Rockies will forever hold a special place in my heart and I’s so grateful for the opportunities they gave me,” Diaz said. “The people in that organization are like family to me and that will never change. I’ll always remember how well the fans treated me at every level.”

The Rockies also announced hitting coach Duane Espy will not be retuning for the 2019 season. Espy, 63, had just finished his second season back as the Rockies hitting coach, his sixth overall at the Major League level. He had been with while the organization in some capacity since the 2003 season where he worked under manager Clint Hurdle.

Jeff Salazar, 37, was the assistant hitting coach the last two seasons. He remains with the team as of now.

Colorado’s offense struggled in 2018, posting a .256 batting average that was the lowest in franchise history. The Rockies’ road batting average of .225 was also the lowest in history, although the 91 home runs the Rockies slugged on the road were the third-most.