Arlington, Texas — The Texas Rangers today announced that the club has finalized its 2023 Major League coaching staff under new manager Bruce Bochy. Associate manager Will Venable and pitching coach Mike Maddux are the new additions that join seven returning individuals to the staff.
Bochy joined the Rangers on October 21, agreeing to a three-year contract covering the 2023-25 seasons. He became the 20th full-time manager in Rangers history and the first to join the club after having previously won a World Series title as manager. Bochy is one of only 10 managers in Major League history to have guided teams to at least three World Series titles, and the other nine individuals on that list have all been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Venable was hired on November 16 after stints as a coach for the Boston Red Sox (2021-22) and Chicago Cubs (2018-20). He played nine seasons as a Major League outfielder with the Padres (2008-15), Rangers (2015), and Dodgers (2016).
Maddux was hired on November 23 in a return to the Rangers, as he was pitching coach of four Texas postseason clubs during his previous stint with the club from 2009-15. He has spent the last 20 seasons as a Major League pitching coach with four teams: Milwaukee (2003-08), Texas (2009-15), Washington (2016-17), and St. Louis (2018-22).
There are seven returnees to the Texas coaching staff for 2023: first base coach Corey Ragsdale, bench coach and offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker, hitting coach Tim Hyers, third base coach Tony Beasley, catching coach Bobby Wilson, bullpen coach Brett Hayes, and assistant hitting coach Seth Conner.
Beasley will be in his ninth season with Texas, the longest-tenured member of the Rangers coaching staff. He served as the club’s interim manager from August 15 through the end of the 2022 season. Ragsdale will be in his fourth season on the staff, while Wilson is on the staff for a third year. Ecker, Hyers, Hayes, and Conner will all be in their second season with Texas.
MEARS CLAIMED BY COLORADO: Right-handed pitcher Nick Mears has been acquired by the Colorado Rockies via waiver claim. Mears was designated for assignment by the Rangers on December 27 when the club signed right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. Mears was originally acquired by Texas via waiver claim from the Pittsburgh Pirates on December 23.
MINOR LEAGUE SIGNINGS: Texas has signed outfielder Joe McCarthy and catcher/first baseman Ryan Gold to minor league contracts. McCarthy will be a non-roster invite to Major League Spring Training camp while Gold will be in minor league camp.
McCarthy, 28, batted .225 with 4 home runs and 19 RBI over 59 games with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan last season. Prior to signing with Orix, McCarthy slashed .571/.684/1.357/2.041 with 3 home runs and 8 RBI across 10 Cactus League appearances as a non-roster invite for Texas last spring. The Pennsylvania native’s lone career Major League action came with San Francisco in 2020, when he went 0-for-10 in 4 games after making the club’s Opening Day roster.
Gold spent seven years in the Toronto system after being selected by the Blue Jays in the 27th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He batted .214/.313/.445/.759 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI over 59 games for Double-A New Hampshire in 2022.
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