The Cleveland Guardians fell just short of reaching the World Series this season, and one of the reasons fans can point to for the team falling just short in the ALCS is that the offense didn’t quite stack up against some of the best in the business.
Aside from the team’s biggest hitters such as Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, and Steven Kwan, the offense didn’t provide a ton of depth down the stretch and delivered some frustrating performances in October, which inspired the team to make a change in the dugout.
MLB.com’s Mandy Bell shared on X that Grant Fink will be the team’s new hitting coach after spending the last three years as the team’s minor league hitting coordinator.
Guardians coaching staff updates:
-Grant Fink will be the hitting coach. He was Cleveland’s Minor League hitting coordinator the last three seasons.
-Carl Willis is back as pitching coach.
-Craig Albernaz promoted to assistant manager
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) November 13, 2024
Bell also added that Carl Willis will return as the team’s pitching coach and Craig Albernaz has been promoted to assistant manager.
Former hitting coach Chris Valaika left the team to join former Guardians manager Terry Francona in Cincinnati with the Reds.
Fink is only 33 years old and was drafted as a player by the Guardians in 2013 before transitioning to a coaching role in 2017.
Albernaz was a finalist for the managerial openings with the Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins but ultimately withdrew from the Marlins job while the White Sox went with Will Venable.
The team will certainly benefit from him sticking around despite other teams courting him, and he’ll add to the team’s continuity heading into next year.
It’s a big step up for Fink, and he has his work cut out for him.
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