By Cardinals Team Release | @STLBBToday | Jan. 12, 2016, 11:15 pm CT
The St. Louis Cardinals announced today the coaching staffs for the 2016 season for their minor league affiliates in addition to their player development personnel.
The Cardinals have retained the incumbent managers at all eight minor league affiliates. The pitching coaches at the four full-season league affiliates, as well as State College and the Dominican Summer League, return to their staff assignments in 2016.
Cale Johnson (Johnson City) and Giovanni Carrara (GCL Cardinals) have each moved up an affiliate level as pitching coaches.
Springfield, Palm Beach and Johnson City will each have a hitting coach from a different affiliate from 2015. Ramon Ortiz moves from Palm Beach to Springfield and Roberto Espinoza moves from the GCL Cardinals to Johnson City. Donnie Ecker has been hired as the hitting coach at Palm Beach after serving as the club’s “4thCoach” during the 2015 season. Cody Gabella, a former Padres minor league player and son of former minor league manager Jim Gabella, has been assigned a coaching position with the Gulf Coast League Cardinals.
On the player development side where Tony Ferreira now serves as the Administrator for Minor League Operations, 11 members remain in their positions from 2015 while Frank Daversa has been hired as the Assistant Minor League Rehab Coordinator.
Five members of the athletic training staff will receive new assignments in 2016. Brent Neuharth moves from Peoria to Palm Beach, Dan Martin from State College to Peoria,Chris Whitman from Johnson City to State College, Koji Kanemura from the Dominican Summer League to the Gulf Coast League and Keith Joynt from Palm Beach to Johnson City. Scott Ensell remains at Springfield and the Memphis team trainer has yet to be determined.
The Cardinals introduction of the “4th Coach” at each affiliate level continues in the 2016 season with Robby Hisert at Memphis, T.C. Calhoun in Springfield, Jim Foster at Palm Beach, Nathan Sopena at Peoria and former Cardinals minor league outfielder C.J. Beatty at State College.
