Rays won’t bring back two coaches for next season
ST. PETERSBURG — The Tampa Bay Rays are changing the look of Kevin Cash’s coaching staff, announcing Tuesday that first base coach Chris Prieto and assistant hitting coach Dan DeMent won’t be returning for 2024.
Both had one year left on their contracts, joining the staff for the 2022 season after promotions from minor-league positions.
“I am appreciative of the hard work and commitment from Chris and Dan throughout the last two seasons. We wish them and their families the absolute best in their next steps,” Cash said in a statement.
Prieto, 51, was also responsible for baserunning, which has been an issue for the Rays over the last two seasons, though he also worked diligently with the outfielders, notably Luke Raley, on improving their play. He spent 2020-21 as an outfield/ baserunning coordinator in the Rays system, and six years before that on the Mariners’ major-league staff.
The Rays are likely to consider internal and external candidates to fill his position.
DeMent, 45, was promoted along with Brady North to serve as assistants to hitting coach Chad Mottola, but the dynamics of having three coaches proved unwieldy at times and the Rays are likely to streamline the operation and not replace him.
DeMent played from 2000-04 in the Rays’ minor-league system, then returned in 2009 to start his coaching career, working his way from rookie-level Princeton to minor-league hitting coordinator in 2020-21.
Process and analytics coach Jonathan Erlichman is also leaving the staff for another, still undisclosed, position in the organization, with a decision pending on if/how he will be replaced.
No other changes are expected unless a returning coach gets a job elsewhere, with bench coach Rodney Linares a potential candidate for a managing job, though no interview requests have been made yet.
This will be the third straight year of changes to the staff under Cash, who is heading into his 10th season.
There were three new members in 2023, as Tomas Francisco, Jorge Moncada and Brady Williams were promoted following the departures of Matt Quatraro (as manager) and Paul Hoover (bench coach) to Kansas City, and the retirement of Stan Boroski.
Prieto was promoted in November 2021, then when Ozzie Timmons, who was to serve as assistant hitting coach, left to become hitting coach in Milwaukee, DeMent and North also got moved up.
Also Tuesday, two Rays were named finalists for Players Choice awards: Yandy Diaz as American League Outstanding Player, along with Shohei Ohtani (Angels) and Corey Seager (Rangers); and Tyler Glasnow for AL Comeback player, with Liam Hendriks (White Sox) and Ryan O’Hearn (Orioles). Winners are announced Nov. 2.