Some O’s news during this slow time in the MLB offseason (well, unless you’re a fan of the Boston Red Sox)…
No, the Birds haven’t re-signed Nick Markakis, or Nelson Cruz, or Andrew Miller, nor are they rumored to be “in on” Jon Lester or anybody else. Still, a move that a vocal portion of the fan base had been calling for materialized, as the Birds have reassigned hitting coach Jim Presley.
The Baltimore Sun’s Dan Connolly first reported the news, and both he and Roch Kubatko say that sources within the organization are describing the move as Presley’s decision based on “personal reasons.”
Let’s first get this out of the way, as red flags go up whenever a coach leaves a position due to personal reasons: here’s hoping that Presley, nor any of his immediately family members, are dealing with any kind of serious health issues. Being an MLB hitting coach is a hard gig with long hours, and the hope here is that Presley had just had enough of that grind for now.
[Related: Should the O’s Fire Jim Presley?]
As far as the Birds go, Buck will begin interviewing candidates for the position; they have some names on their list:
A name to speculate on for #Orioles hitting coach could be Rudy Jaramillo, who was Buck Showalter's hitting coach with #Rangers.
— Rich Dubroff (@RichDubroffCSN) November 24, 2014
1 internal candidate is Jeff Manto, #orioles minor league hitting coordinator. Highly regarded in organization.
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) November 24, 2014
I’d be cool with Manto getting the spot. Word is that he fixed Alejandro De Aza quickly after the Birds traded for him last season.
Personally, I’m unmoved by the Presley news. While many O’s fans will be glad to see him go, I’ll take the wait-and-see approach. We’ll see if anything dramatically, or even noticeably changes regarding the Birds’ approach at the plate in 2015. If by say, July, we’re no longer popping champagne when Jonathan Schoop draws a walk, I’ll be impressed.