So far, there are seven confirmed coaches for manager Craig Albernaz’s first Oriole staff. Three are new — bench coach Donnie Ecker, lead hitting coach Dustin Lind and first base coach Jason Bourgeois. Four are holdovers from the 2025 staff — Buck Britton, who was the third base coach; pitching coach Drew French; assistant pitching coach Ryan Klimek; and bullpen coach Mitch Plassmeyer.
The roles for Britton, French, Klimek and Plassmeyer have yet to be announced.
Six coaches from last year’s staff have departed — bench coach Robinson Chirinos, first base coach Anthony Sanders, hitting coaches Cody Asche, Tommy Joseph and Sherman Johnson, and development coach Grant Anders.
Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino will be Atlanta’s bench coach. Initially, the Braves announced he’d be the third base coach.
Only senior advisor John Mabry’s status is to be determined from the 2025 staff.
Each of the seven coaches has major league coaching experience — Ecker with Cincinnati, San Francisco and most recently Texas; Lind with San Francisco and Philadelphia; Bourgeois with the Chicago White Sox.
The other four bring a familiarity, which can be important.
Of the seven, only Bourgeois has major league playing experience.
Last season, the Orioles ended the year with 11 coaches. If Albernaz’s staff has the same number, it means there are still four coaches to be hired.
Perhaps two will be assistant hitting coaches and there may be one with the amorphous title of major league coach. A Spanish speaking coach is also vital.
It used to be common for coaching staffs to be full of ex-major leaguers. That’s no longer the case. Albernaz never played in the major leagues, and it doesn’t seem to be a factor with current players.
Asche, Joseph and Johnson had major league playing experience. So did Sanders, and Chirinos had 11 years of major league service time.
There’s no former major league manager on the staff. Brandon Hyde had longtime manager Fredi González on his staff from 2020-2024. Many teams have had ex-managers as bench coaches, but it doesn’t appear the Orioles will.
Ecker was a bench and hitting coach for Texas. With the Rangers, he worked under one of the best managers in recent years, Bruce Bochy, who’s won four World Series.
The Orioles are in win-now mode, and they’re assembling an interesting staff.
Baseball’s hiring practices have changed in recent years. The only team that hasn’t hired a manager for 2026 is Colorado, and of the other 29 managers, 12 didn’t play in the majors.
It would be good if the Orioles created a prominent role for Mabry, who would be the outlier on the staff if he’s included. At 55, Mabry would be the oldest coach on the staff. He played for 14 seasons with eight major league teams and coached for St. Louis, Kansas City and Miami before joining the Orioles in May.
Mabry’s pregame work with Coby Mayo at first base has been impressive, and Mansolino said was invaluable as a resource for players and coaches.
During games, Mabry didn’t sit near Mansolino and his core coaches but stood halfway down the dugout, making notes and talking with players.
Albernaz had worked with Ecker and Lind with the Giants, and he’d been a minor league teammate of Bourgeois in the Rays’ organization. It appears he’s been impressed by Britton, French, Klimek and Plassmeyer.
The final choices on his coaching staff are likely to be instructive and intriguing.
Notes: Right-handed pitcher Carson Ragsdale and left-handed pitcher Josh Walker were claimed off waivers by Atlanta. Ragsdale allowed eight runs on 10 hits in five innings in two appearances for a 14.40 ERA. Walker, who signed a major league contract for 2026 with the Orioles on November 4th, pitched for Triple-A Norfolk after he was claimed from Philadelphia.
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