Cesar Cedeño to return to Greeneville staff
GREENEVILLE, TN - The Houston Astros have announced their minor league staff for the 2016 season. Greeneville's manager has yet to be determined, but Chris Holt (pitching coach), Cesar Cedeno (hitting coach), Elliot Diehl (athletic trainer) and Julio Diaz (strength) will comprise the coaching staff.
Holt will begin his third season in the Astros organization and his first as Greeneville's pitching coach after serving the last two years in class short-season A Tri-City. Cedeno returns to Greeneville for his fifth consecutive season, and his 16th as a coach with the Astros. The four-time All-Star played 12 seasons (1970-81) with the Astros and collected five Gold Gloves as an outfielder. Diehl will be entering his second season in Greeneville, and Diaz will begin his fourth season with the Astros organization after previous stints with class A Quad Cities and the rookie Gulf Coast League Astros.
After leading the Greeneville Astros to the Appalachian League Championship title in his first year as a manager, Lamarr Rogers will move up to Tri-City to serve as the club's manager for the 2016 season. Meanwhile, Josh Miller will enter a new role as complex coordinator (pitching) following three seasons as Greeneville's pitching coach and two as a pro scout for the Astros. In his new role, Miller will oversee the Astros pitching programs at their complex in Kissimmee, Fla., which will include the extended Spring Training and rehab pitching programs. Luis Mateo, who also coached on Greeneville's staff last season, will now be the hitting coach for the GCL Astros. Finally, last season's strength and conditioning coach Joe Bossard will be moving to class A Quad Cities.
Former Greeneville managers Rodney Linares (Double A Corpus Christi), Omar Lopez (Class A Advanced Lancaster) and Josh Bonifay (Class A Quad Cities) will all return to manage at their same posts for 2016. Other former Greeneville field staff members still working at different levels throughout the Astros system include the following: 2014 coach Wladimir Sutil (Quad Cities), 2014 athletic trainer John Gregorich (Tri-City), 2014 strength & conditioning Dwayne Peterson (Lancaster), 2012-13 athletic trainer Corey O'Brien (Quad Cities), 2011 athletic trainer Michael Rendon (Lancaster), 2010 pitching coach Dave Borkowski (Quad Cities), 2008-10 athletic trainer Grant Hufford (Corpus Christi) and 2007 athletic trainer Bryan Baca (Fresno).
The Greeneville Astros are the Appalachian League affiliate of the Houston Astros. For more information, call (423) 638-0411.
2016 MINOR LEAGUE STAFF
COORDINATORS & ROVERS
Field Coordinator Paul Runge
Hitting Coordinator Jeff Albert
Pitching Coordinator Doug White
Catching Coordinator Mark Bailey
Infield Coordinator Adam Everett
Roving Outfield Instructor Leon Roberts
Mindset Coach Morgan Ensberg
Strength & Conditioning Brendan Verner
Rehab Coordinator Daniel Roberts
Complex Coordinator-Pitching Josh Miller
TRIPLE A FRESNO
Manager Tony DeFrancesco
Pitching Coach Dyar Miller
Hitting Coach Ralph Dickenson
Athletic Trainer Bryan Baca
Strength & Conditioning Trey Wiedman
DOUBLE A CORPUS CHRISTI
Manager Rodney Linares
Pitching Coach Doug Brocail
Hitting Coach Dan Radison
Athletic Trainer Grant Hufford
Strength & Conditioning Taylor Rhoades
CLASS A ADVANCED LANCASTER
Manager Omar Lopez
Pitching Coach Michael Burns
Hitting Coach Darryl Robinson
Athletic Trainer Michael Rendon
Strength & Conditioning Dwayne Peterson
CLASS A QUAD CITIES
Manager Josh Bonifay
Pitching Coach Dave Borkowski
Hitting Coach Joel Chimelis
Coach Wladimir Sutil
Athletic Trainer Corey O'Brien
Strength & Conditioning Joe Bossard
CLASS A SHORT SEASON TRI-CITY
Manager Lamarr Rogers
Pitching Coach Ace Adams
Hitting Coach Russ Steinhorn
Athletic Trainer John Gregorich
Strength & Conditioning Mark Spadavecchia
ROOKIE LEVEL GREENEVILLE
Manager TBD
Pitching Coach Chris Holt
Hitting Coach Cesar Cedeno
Athletic Trainer Elliot Diehl
Strength & Conditioning Julio Diaz
ROOKIE LEVEL GULF COAST LEAGUE
Manager Marty Malloy
Pitching Coach Erick Abreu
Hitting Coach Luis Mateo
Coach Ramon Vazquez
Athletic Trainer Ben Myers