Mariners Minor League Staff Updates at AAA Tacoma and AA Arkansas

I’m starting off by saying that I love this picture. It’s the Mariners most recent AAA manager and the current manager in a play at the plate. Amazing how things work out sometimes.

The Mariners have announced who is going to be leading the way at both Tacoma and Arkansas this year, announcing the coaching staffs for both the AAA and AA teams. There is a bit of change from 2021, which is both good and bad at the same time.

It’s bad because you are losing a bit of that continuity and familiarity for the players who are down there. You have to worry, from up above in the front office, that the message may be a bit different, or that what worked before won’t anymore with the implementation of new staff.

However, it’s good because you are continuing to see your team succeed at the Minor League level. It could be bad if coaches were being fired. However, with the Mariners, the changes are coming from promotions and coaches getting hired away to other organizations. It’s why, for the third year in a row, the Tacoma Rainiers are going to have a new Manager, amidst a handful of other new additions.

The Mariners new AAA coaches for the Tacoma Rainiers are…

It was Daren Brown back in 2020, and then Kristopher Negron in 2021. He led the Rainiers to a title last year and was in turn promoted to be the Mariners new first base coach at the big league level. Now, it will be another former player taking the reigns for the Rainiers as Tim Federowicz will step in to lead the club. He’s going to have big shoes to fill, as Negron led the team to the title as well as winning Manager of the Year.

Fedz isn’t the only new coach with the Rainiers, as their hitting coach will assume the position for the first time as well. Brad Marcelino is coming over from the San Diego area where he was a special hitting instructor for the last four years. Aron Leichman will be the new pitching coach for the Rainiers, although he has been with the Seattle organization for the past five years, with the last two as the Travellers pitching coach at AA.

In fact, they’re going to have another new coach, in former Rainiers players Zach Vincej, who played as recently as 2019. He’s joined by Michael Feliciano, who will take on the role of Athletic Trainer for the team. He’s been in Seattle for five years, but this will be his first as the AT. Rounding out the new additions is Michael Sadler, who will move on from the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Arkansas to resume that role with the Rainiers.

The Mariners new AA coaches for the Arkansas Travellers are…

Collin Cowgill will return for his second season, looking to improve on a strong showing in 2021, and one that should be made even more interesting by the high number of top prospects that are likely to spend a great deal of time in Arkansas.

Shawn O’Malley jumps from Everett to Arkansas, a promotion for the hitting coach. It’s a nice quick climb for O’Malley, who was previously the hitting coach for the Mariners at Modesto. Sean McGrath will be the pitching coach and has followed the same path as O’Malley, being promoted from Modesto to Everett, and now to Arkansas.

Geoff Jimenez will be a coach there, jumping all the way from Modesto to Arkansas, skipping over Everett. Amanda Lee joins Cowgill as a returning piece of the staff and will be logging her 4th season as the Athletic Trainer. Lastly, and fairly interesting, is Chris Walter who will take on the role of Strength and Conditioning Coach. He held that role for the Detroit Tigers from 2015-2020, and it seems like a nice signing for the Mariners minor leagues.

It’s a lot of new faces for the Mariners, and it should make for a fun and interesting season for both of the Minor League clubs in Tacoma and Arkansas.