The Yankees organization has announced that there will be a complete turnover of the High-A Tampa coaching staff. This news, while odd, is not surprising, coming off a 58-78 last place finish in 2013. Most of the new coaching staff has been moved up from Single-A Charleston, meaning that more hirings will be forthcoming.
The new manager for Tampa will be Al Pedrique, the 2013 manager of the Single-A Charleston RiverDogs. This is his second year in the organization, but he also possesses 16 years of experience in the Astros, Diamondbacks and Royals organizations, serving in various positions at the major and minor league level.
Danny Borrell, a former Yankees second-round draft pick in 2000, will enter his sixth season as a coach in the Yankees organization and will serve as the Tampa Yankees pitching coach in 2014 after spending the last two seasons with Charleston and the 2011 season with Staten Island in the same role. P.J. Pilittere will serve as Tampa's hitting coach after serving in the same role in Charleston in 2013. He was a catcher in the Yankees organization from 2004 to 2011 before transitioning to coaching with the GCL Yankees in 2012.
J.D. Closser will make his professional debut as a coach, while Michael Becker will move from Charleston to Tampa and serve as the new trainer for the team. In his second season with the organization, Joe Siara will serve as Tampa's strength and conditioning coach after spending 2013 with the Staten Island Yankees.
As for the previous regime, ex-Yankee Luis Sojo has served as the team's manager for the past seven out of eight years, but it's unknown at this time if he will remain in the organization. Marcus Thames, who began his coaching career as the team's hitting coach last season, will move up to Double-A Trenton.
