A few minor league notes and a look at Chris Davis' opposite-field homers

When the Orioles announced their minor league staff assignments this week, it became official that some staff members do return to the organization, but at different affiliates from 2014.

Not that this is all that unusual on the farm. It happens pretty much every year.

As for the managers, Orlando Gomez moves back to Single-A Frederick after two years as Gulf Coast League skipper. He led Frederick to the 2011 Carolina League championship. That is the last title by any O's affiliate.

Luis Pujols, who was with Frederick last year, is moving to short-season Single-A Aberdeen. Matt Merullo, Aberdeen's manager for the last two years, will now manage the GCL Orioles.

I asked O's director of player development Brian Graham the reasoning behind the manager movement on the farm.

"The adjustments we made were to match up where our managers fit best with the players we project going to those levels," Graham said. "And with Orlando Gomez, he does such a good job at that High-A ball level and he has in the past as well. We have a real good group of players going there, the kids that came out of Delmarva last year that I thought it would be a good match to have Orlando with those guys.

"Luis Pujols is a good fit for that short-season Aberdeen club. He can be at extended (spring training) for half a year and then go to the Aberdeen level. For Matt Merullo, especially from a development standpoint, he will be a good match in the Gulf Coast League."

When it comes to minor league staff assignments, a move to a lower-level affiliate is not necessarily any demotion or reflection of job performance. It is quite different than for the players. These are valued staff members and it is about the best fit for each person through the organization.

"The staff knows that," Graham said. "I've explained it to the staff, the coaches and the managers that are going different directions. (Single-A Delmarva pitching coach) Blaine Beatty is a good example. We have so many good young pitchers with the potential going to the Delmarva level that Blaine is the right fit to go to Delmarva at this point.

"This is absolutely not a reflection on performance. Blaine is a very valuable pitching coach and he's the best choice we had for the Delmarva level. Kennie Steenstra we felt was the perfect match for the Frederick level. Alan Mills has done a really good job and (his moving to Double-A Bowie) is as much for his development as a coach. It will be a really good level for Alan Mills and his own development."

Other minor league notes: Left-handed pitcher Lex Rutledge has told club officials he is retiring. The 23-year-old Rutledge was a sixth-round selection out of Samford University in 2012.

Rutledge went 5-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 27 games between Delmarva and Frederick in 2013. Last year, he went 4-3 with a 2.97 ERA with the Keys. He certainly isn't leaving the game because of poor performance and he had showed some promise.

"He just said it wasn't in his heart and in his words, he felt like he was burnt out on baseball and it wasn't in his heart," Graham said.

Catcher Nick Merullo also retired. The son of Matt Merullo, Nick had been signed by the Orioles after the draft last summer out of James Madison University.

Graham confirmed a report by The Virginian-Pilot that Norfolk Tides manager Ron Johnson signed a two-year contract with the Orioles. Most minor league staff members work on one-year deals.

Also, former Orioles Terry Crowley and B.J. Surhoff will again be working with O's minor league players this year. Both serve as special assignment instructors for the club.

Davis' opposite-field pop: A few days ago on 105.7 The Fan's "Hot Stove Show," O's first baseman Chris Davis talked about his power falloff last year to the opposite field.

When Davis hit 53 homers to lead the majors in 2013, he hit 17 (32 percent) to the left side of the diamond. Last year, he hit 26 homers with just six (23 percent) coming on the left side of the field.

Here are Davis' spray charts from FanGraphs for 2013 and 2014.

Davis indicated an early-season oblique injury last year made it more difficult to hit homers to the opposite field, which was such a big part of his game in 2013.

"I think early on in the season, guys were really pounding me in, really attacking me inside," Davis said. "I was still having productive at-bats, I was driving in runs, and once the weather starts to warm up a little bit, as a power hitter you want to see the ball fly. And for me, there were balls I hit to left-center and to left field that I really didn't have that finish on."

Most power hitters can hit the ball out of any part of the ballpark and Davis peppered the left-center field fence during his 53-homer year. If pitchers are going to pitch you away, you have to be able to drive the ball that way and become dangerous on pitches on the outside corner as well.

The ability to do that again could be big for Davis as he looks to have a bounceback year and approach his average of 43 homers from the 2012-13 seasons.