Red Sox finalize 2022 coaching staff

The Red Sox finalized manager Alex Cora’s coaching staff for the 2022 season, announcing Monday that they hired Luis Ortiz and Ben Rosenthal as assistant hitting coaches. As previously reported, they also promoted Peter Fatse from assistant hitting coach to hitting coach. Meanwhile, 2021 quality control coach Ramon Vazquez will move to first base coach, while Andy Fox will be the major league field coordinator after previously serving as assistant field coordinator. Former bullpen catcher Mike Brenly is now a major league staff assistant as well.

Ortiz joins the Red Sox after spending three years as the Rangers’ hitting coach. He was also the Dodgers’ assistant hitting coach in 2018. It won’t be Ortiz’s first time donning a Red Sox uniform, however. The 51-year-old was an eighth-round pick by the Sox back in 1991 and played 16 big league games with them from 1993-94, splitting that brief time between third base and designated hitter. He also played in 44 big league games with the Rangers over the next two seasons.

In addition to that limited MLB action, Ortiz’s playing career included stops with several other MLB organizations: the Royals, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Cardinals and Expos. He also spent time in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, in the Mexican League and with the independent Winnipeg Goldeyes. A true baseball journeyman, Ortiz has experience as a minor league hitting coach with the Rangers in addition to stints with the player development departments in Cleveland and San Diego.

The other external hire announced Monday is Rosenthal, a 42-year-old with a broad-reaching level of experiences in the game himself. Rosenthal spent a few seasons as a catcher in the Cardinals’ minor league system and has also played with five different independent organizations. He’s also been a third base coach and hitting coach in the college ranks (Point Loma Nazarene University) and, more recently, spent five seasons as a minor league hitting coach with the Astros organization. Rosenthal has been Houston’s Triple-A hitting coach since 2019 and spent the 2017-18 seasons coaching at two different Class-A stops.

The rest of Boston’s coaching staff will return in the same roles. Will Venable enters his second season as Cora’s bench coach, and he’ll also serve as the team’s outfield coach. Dave Bush is back for a third season as the major league pitching coach. Bullpen coach Kevin Walker is also back for a third season on the staff (and second as bullpen coach). Carlos Febles is returning for his fifth season as third base coach, and Jason Varitek will be back for a second season as Boston’s catching coach and game-planning coordinator.