The Padres will add a number of former major leaguers to their coaching staff. Per Dennis Lin of The Athletic, Nick Punto again Robby Hammock will enter, although their specific roles are not yet clear. Lin added that Ryan Barba, the club’s major league outfield coordinator in 2024, recently left to join the Cardinals in an undisclosed role.
Punto, 47, was in the big team from 2001 to 2014 as an assistant player. He appeared in 1,163 games for the Phillies, Twins, Cardinals, Red Sox, Dodgers and Athletics. He hit .245/.323/.323 while playing all over the diamond off the bat. He won a World Series ring with cards in 2011.
Hammock, also 47 years old, was mostly a catcher but also ran for four spots. He played regularly for the Diamondbacks from 2003 to 2011, appearing in 182 games. He hit .254/.312/.407 over 527 plate appearances.
After his playing career ended, he switched to coaching with the D’Backs, working for various minor league clubs from 2012 to 2021. He then came to the Padres organization, serving as their Triple-A hitting coach in 2022. He then played in the Pirates organization, managing the High-A Greensboro club in 2023 and then Double-A Altoona last year.
It’s unclear exactly what roles the pair will play, but they will bring an experienced voice to Manager Mike Shildt’s staff. Schildt took over as San Diego’s captain last year and the club went 93-69 in his first season.
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