Mariners Announce 2021 Coaching Staff
Trent Blank (Bullpen Coach and Director of Pitching Strategy) added to Big League staff; Acta, DeHart, Hill, Laker, Sandberg, Vitale, Woodworth return to Major League staff in same roles
SEATTLE, Wash. — Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto and Mariners Manager Scott Servais announced today that the team has promoted Trent Blank as the club’s new Major League Bullpen Coach and Director of Pitching Strategy.
Manny Acta, Jarret DeHart, Perry Hill, Tim Laker, Jared Sandberg, Carson Vitale and Pete Woodworth have all been invited to return to the Mariners Major League staff in 2021.
Brian De Lunas (Bullpen Coach) will not return in 2021.
“Whether working remotely or working at the ballpark, this group helped our players get better in 2020,” Servais said. “As we take steps toward our goal of annually contending for the American League West title, I am confident that our coaches will put our players in the best position to succeed.”
Trent Blank (Bullpen Coach) will be in his 1st season as the club’s Bullpen Coach after spending the 2020 season as the club’s Acting Bullpen Coach. The 2021 season will be his 2nd on a Big League coaching staff and his 3rd as a coach in the Mariners organization. He joined the Mariners as the Coordinator of Pitching Strategy in 2019 and was tabbed to serve in that role again in 2020 before joining the Big League coaching staff. Prior to joining the Mariners organization, he spent 4 years with TMI Sports Medicine working as a Baseball Performance Specialist. Blank was originally selected by Colorado in the 30th round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Baylor University. He appeared in 3 seasons (2012–14) in the Rockies minor league system.
Manny Acta (Third Base Coach) returns for his 4th season as the club’s Third Base Coach, his 6th season overall on Seattle’s coaching staff. He spent two seasons (2018–2019) as the club’s Bench Coach. The 2021 season will be his 17th season as a big league coach or manager. He managed the Cleveland Indians (2010–12) and Washington Nationals (2007–09) and, in addition to Seattle, has been a Major League third base coach with New York-NL (2005–06) and Montreal (2002–04).
Jarret DeHart (Asst. Hitting Coach) will be in his 2nd season as the club’s Assistant Hitting Coach. He was roving minor league hitting strategist for the Mariners in 2019. In that role, he often spent time with the Seattle big league hitters, as well as his work throughout Seattle’s minor league system. He spent the 2018 season as the hitting coach for the Arizona League Mariners. He played collegiately at LSU (2013–14) and Tulane University (2015–17).
Perry Hill (First Base/Infield Coach), who worked remotely during the 2020 season, will be in his 3rd season with the Mariners, but his 26th as a big league coach, overall, in 2021. The Mariners ranked 3rd in the Major Leagues with a .989 fielding percentage in 2020, while their 23 errors were 3rd-fewest in the Big Leagues.
Tim Laker (Hitting Coach), who worked remotely during the 2020 season, returns for his 3rd season as Big League hitting coach after joining the Mariners in 2019. The Mariners ranked 6th in the American League in both walks (207) and pitches-per-plate-appearance (3.98) in 2020. The 2021 season will be his 5th as a big league coach; he was assistant hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017–18.
Jared Sandberg (Bench Coach) returns for his 2nd season as the club’s Bench Coach, his 3rd season overall with Seattle’s Big League coaching staff. He joined the club in 2019 as ML Field Coordinator after spending the previous 11 years in the Rays organization, including 10 years (2009–2018) as a minor league manager. He compiled a career mark of 612–522 (.540) as a minor league manager, and led his teams to 7 winning seasons and 3 league titles.
Carson Vitale (ML Field Coordinator) returns for his 2nd season as the club’s Major League Field Coordinator. He spent the 2018–19 seasons as the Mariners minor league field coordinator where he was responsible for all aspects of the on-field work done in the Player Development department by the Mariners players and staff. He joined the Mariners after spending two seasons (2016–17) as the Los Angeles Dodgers International Field Coordinator. He also spent four seasons (2012–15) in the player development department of the Los Angeles Angels. Carson was manager of the Dominican Summer League Angels in 2014–15. He is a graduate (2010) of Creighton University, and was a 38th round selection by the Texas Rangers in the 2010 First Year Player Draft.
Pete Woodworth (Pitching Coach) will be in his 2nd season as the club’s Pitching Coach. The Mariners ranked T2nd in the American League/T5th in the Major Leagues with 25 quality starts in 2020. From Aug. 31 through the end of the regular season, Mariners starting pitchers went 10–5 with a 3.78 ERA (53 ER, 126.1 IP) in 24 starts. He spent the 2019 season as the pitching coach for the Arkansas Travelers, the Mariners affiliate in the AA Texas League. Following the 2019 season, Woodworth was named the Texas League Coach of the Year. The 2021 season will be his sixth in the Mariners organization. He spent 2017 and 2018 as the pitching coach for High-A Modesto after joining the Mariners on June 22, 2016 as the pitching coach at A Clinton. He came to the Seattle organization from his alma mater, Florida Gulf Coast University.
In addition, Nasusel Cabrera will remain with the big league staff in his position as batting practice pitcher and Fleming Báez will return as bullpen catcher.
