Twins hire Bill Evers to complete new coaching staff

The Twins announced Wednesday that they have hired Bill Evers as the last piece of the team’s new coaching staff. In case you live under a giant, Miguel-Sano-shaped rock, you know that the team quickly fired former manager Paul Molitor after the end of the disappointing 2018 season.

Along with Molitor, the team also dumped first-year pitching coach Garvin Alston, mysterious coach Jeff Pickler, third base coach Gene Glynn,first base coach Jeff Smith, and bullpen coach Eddie Guardado. Basically, the door was cracked open just a bit for Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey and GM Thad Levine to finally install a coaching staff of their choice, and they took that opportunity to ram that door open like a hungry velociraptor.

The last and newest hire, Evers, has more than 30 years of experience coaching, scouting, managing, and instructing. Like new manager Rocco Baldelli, he comes from the Tampa Bay Rays organization, where he’s served as the minor leaguer coordinator for the past eight years. His history with Baldelli (and perhaps also bench coach Derek Shelton) likely played a role in the hiring.

Evers is essentially taking over for former major league coach Jeff Pickler, who didn’t really have an exact title.

As mentioned, the hiring of Evers now completes the Twins coaching staff for the 2019 season. Here’s a recap summary of the group:

• Manager: New hire Rocco Baldelli, former Rays player and coach.
• Bench Coach: Derek Shelton, who the Twins hired before the 2018 season and decided to keep around.
• Hitting Roach: James Rowson, who the Twins hired before the 2017 season and also decided to keep around.
• Assistant Hitting Coach: Rudy Hernandez, who is also a holdover from the previous staff.
• Pitching Coach: New hire Wes Johnson, who has long-standing experience coaching in college.
• Assistant Pitching Coach: New hire Jeremy Hefner, who I don’t really know anything about, except that he is going to be the one sitting in the bullpen during games.
• First Base Coach: New hire Tommy Watkins, the former Twins player and minor league manager who is the motherfuckin’ man!!!!
• Third Base Coach: A new hire named Tony Diaz.

Exciting, isn’t it?