00:00Hello, Detroit Tigers faithful. With the 2025 season on the horizon, the organization has just
00:07unveiled the managerial coaching and support staff alignments across the minor league system,
00:12and there's a lot of continuity and well-earned promotions to discuss.
00:16Let's start at the top in AAA with the Toledo Mud Hens. Gabe Alvarez is returning for his second
00:21season as manager. Last year, despite constant player movement, he guided the Mud Hens to the
00:27brink of a playoff spot with a strong late push. The team finished with an 84-66 overall record,
00:33going 45-30 in the second half. While we saw pitchers like Troy Melton use their time there
00:38to springboard to Detroit, position players like infield prospects How You Lee and Max Anderson
00:44had huge summers to put themselves in the mix for big league camp, and let's not forget catcher
00:51Eduardo Valencia. His breakout campaign earned him a spot on the 40-man roster and an invite
00:57to spring training. Joining Alvarez again in Toledo are hitting coaches Mike Hessman and Francisco
01:01Contreras, and pitching coach Doug Bockler. Now, a major move to AA Erie, after leading High A West
01:07Michigan to its first league championship in a decade, Tony Cappuccini gets the well-deserved
01:12promotion to manage the Erie Seawolves. He'll be joined there by pitching coach Nick Green.
01:17Kyle McKinnon comes in as the new hitting coach, and a familiar name to MLB fans. Former infielder Nick
01:23Franklin, Mariners, Rays, Brewers, will make his professional coaching debut as the Seawolves
01:29bench coach. Filling Cappuccini's shoes at High A West Michigan will be Rene Rivera, who is also
01:35moving up, after managing single A Lakeland, to a league title. Matt Malott returns as hitting coach,
01:42while Dan Riccobal moves over from Erie to be the pitching coach. Another exciting debut, Cole Roberts,
01:48son of Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, begins his coaching career as the Whitecaps bench
01:54coach after a three-year playing career in the Diamondbacks and Phillies systems. A cool side
01:58note, Cole starts in the organization where his father's pro career began. Dave Roberts was a 28th
02:05round pick by the Tigers in the 1994 draft, and spent parts of five seasons in the Tigers' farm system,
02:12down in single A. With the Lakeland Flying Tigers, Salvador Paniagua takes over as manager after
02:18leading the rookie-level Florida Complex League Tigers last season. He brings Tyler Anderson with
02:23him as pitching coach, and they'll be joined by hitting coach Freddie Landers and bench coach Chris
02:27Gutierrez. Finally, managing the rookie-level Florida Complex League Tigers will be a familiar
02:33face returning to the dugout. Former Tigers catcher Brayen Pena, after stepping back from managing West
02:40Michigan a couple years ago to become an instructor, he's back in charge. His staff includes hitting coach
02:46Rafael Gil, assistant Ben Steck, and pitching coaches Marcelo Alphonson and Williams Moreno.
02:52These moves showcase a blend of rewarding successful leaders and injecting new talent into the coaching
02:57pipeline, all following a year of championship success in West Michigan and Lakeland. What are
03:02your thoughts, Tigers fans? Which of these assignments or promotions are you most excited to follow this
03:07coming season?
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