Edgar Varela to be the next Twins hitting coach

After Hitting coach extraordinaire James Rowson left to take a job with the Miami Marlins, the Minnesota Twins had a vacant spot on their coaching staff. According to LENIII, the Twins have chosen Edgar Varela as their new hitting coach. The team formally announced the decision.

Varela has been the minor league field coordinator for the Twins organization the past two season. He was drafted out of college in the 31st round of the 2002 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox and spent some time on White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Florida Marlins farm teams. He never reached above Class High-A, batting .268/.315/.388 with 29 homers and 212 RBI during that time, playing mostly the corner infield spots.

He also has no major-league coaching experience, as his résumé exclusively boasts coaching in Class A ball or below. However, this hasn’t really stopped the Minnesota front office from making other coaching decisions, such as pitching coach Wes Johnson. Varela will pair with assistant hitting coach Rudy Hernandez to hopefully bring 2019 offensive production into the 2020 season.

Even after they decide who will fill Varela’s old job, the Twins may not be finished with making any coaching decisions this off season. As LENIII also notes, Derek Shelton is a finalist for the skipper’s spot for the Pittsburgh Pirates. If Shelton does take the job, the front office and Rocco Baldelli will be in need of a bench coach.