Taking another look at Orioles' hires and promotions

One of the most important tasks of the offseason is done. The Orioles set their major league coaching staff for 2022. Business that the lockout couldn't touch.

Upon review, there isn't anything unexpected in the composition beyond a new title for Fredi González, who becomes the first bench coach under manager Brandon Hyde after serving as major league coach for two seasons. There won't be a dramatic shift in his duties. He pretty much handled the responsibilities in the past.

Major league field coordinator/catching instructor Tim Cossins is moving to the bullpen during games, which makes González's role a bit clearer. And he's going to replace Hyde if there's an ejection.

As I've written in the past, the Orioles want assistant pitching coach Darren Holmes to work more closely in-game with pitching coach/director of pitching Chris Holt.

José Hernández was known to be shedding the title of assistant hitting coach. We found out yesterday that he's the major league coach for 2022, just as he was in 2019 during his first year on the major league staff.

Try to keep up.

Hernández is entering his 13th season as a coach in the organization, including six at Triple-A Norfolk before his promotion. He served as the Tides' field coach and third base coach, and had previous assignments in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and with Single-A Delmarva and Frederick.

There was talk of the Orioles also making an analytics hire for the staff. What they did was promote Grant Anders, the development coach this summer at Double-A Bowie, to major league player development analyst.

Anders was a behind-the-scenes guy a major league spring training for the past few years. He'll be based out of the warehouse year-round, but spend a significant portion of the season inside the clubhouse and on road trips.

Anders was hired as a development coach in November 2019 after working eight months with the Reds as a baseball operations trainee. He graduated from Radford University in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in economics and worked as the team's director of baseball operations from 2016-18. He earned a master's degree in sports law and business at Arizona State University.

The resume also includes work as the Royals' minor league video intern from June 2017-November 2018.

The Orioles made similar changes on the minor league side, with Dave Barry named player development hitting analyst and Adam Schuck named player development pitching analyst.

Barry was hired prior to the canceled 2020 season as Single-A Frederick's development coach, his first professional coaching role after spending the summer as video technician. He spent 2021 in the same role with Delmarva.

Barry previously was a baseball operations intern with the Astros and baseball operations manager for the Indiana University baseball team.

Schuck was a development coach this year in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020 with a degree in statistics, statistical computing, and data. He was a minor league Trackman operator for the Peoria Chiefs in 2018 and a minor league quality control coach/video coordinator for the Everett AquaSox in 2019.

Brendan Fournie has been hired as director of baseball strategy, the latest member of the Astros organization to jump to the Orioles. He's going to oversee baseball economic research and advise on the many transactional and investment decisions that the department faces on a regular basis.

Among the other changes is Brad Ciolek's promotion from supervisor of domestic scouting operations to director of draft operations, and Di Zou's promotion from baseball systems manager in the analytics department to director of baseball systems.

Chandler Couch will pivot - and I really hope you get the "Friends" reference - from amateur scouting fellow to coordinator of draft operations.

As I mentioned last month, Nick White, hired in 2020 as minor league strength and conditioning coordinator after five years at Coastal Carolina University, has been promoted to head of strength and performance.

Spenser Clark has been hired as the new manager of team travel.

Fortunately for everyone, there will not be a quiz later.