Adair not returning as pitching coach (updated)

Rick Adair will not return as the Orioles pitching coach in 2014, according to industry sources. The Orioles have been compiling a list of candidates in case a change was deemed necessary. According to one source, they're not likely to name Bill Castro or Scott McGregor as the replacement, though a final decision is pending. Castro was named pitching coach on Aug. 15 after Adair took a leave of absence for personal reasons that included his father's terminal illness. His father passed away in September in Birmingham, Ala. McGregor, the Orioles' pitching rehab coordinator, replaced Castro as bullpen coach, a role he also served on a part-time basis in 2011. The Orioles hoped to announce the changes to their coaching staff later this week, but the process could bleed into next week and beyond. The rest of manager Buck Showalter's staff will return next season, including bench coach John Russell, hitting coach Jim Presley, first base coach Wayne Kirby, third base coach Bobby Dickerson and extra coach Einar Diaz. Adair began the 2011 season as the Orioles bullpen coach before replacing Mark Connor as pitching coach on June 14. He served as pitching coach for the Indians in 1992-1993, the Tigers from September 1996-1999 and the Mariners in 2009-2010. Showalter met multiple times with Adair following the 2013 season. Asked on Sept. 6 whether Adair would return next year, Showalter replied, "I think everything else kind of becomes academic until that situation is taken care of in his mind and in his family's mind. Those other questions, I think it's something that takes such precedent over anything we're doing. Those are discussions for another day and another time, in my mind. And I understand - we can kind of live in a cold world sometimes - but it's a reminder of what's really important in our lives. "He's in as good of spirits as you could imagine, comparatively speaking. It's a tough time for him and his family." The Orioles' 4.20 ERA ranked 23rd in the majors this season.