The Los Angeles Dodgers finalized their coaching staff for the 2019 season under manager Dave Roberts, retaining pitching coach Rick Honeycutt (14th season), bench coach Bob Geren (fourth season), first base coach George Lombard (fourth season), bullpen coach Mark Prior (second season) and hitting strategist Brant Brown (second season).
Meanwhile newcomers Dino Ebel joins the staff as third base coach, Robert Van Scoyoc was named hitting coach, Aaron Bates as assistant hitting coach and Chris Gimenez as game planning coach.
Ebel spent the previous 14 seasons on former Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia’s coaching staff. He reassumed third base coaching duties in 2018 after spending four seasons as the club’s bench coach.
Ebel held a multitude of roles throughout his tenure with the Angels. He was their third base coach for nine seasons (2006-14, 2018) while also handling outfield coaching responsibilities in between (2011-15). In 2017, he additionally assisted Alfredo Griffin in coaching the infield.
The Dodgers signed Ebel as a free agent in 1988 and he went on to spend six seasons in the Minors. He began his coaching career in 1991, serving as a player-coach with Single-A Bakersfield until 1994.
Ebel then held the same role with Single-A San Bernardino in 1995 and then became a full-time coach the following year. Ebel began his managerial career in 1997 with San Bernardino, then was the skipper for Rookie-level Great Falls in 1998, Single-A Yakima in 1999, once again for San Bernardino in 2000, then Single-A Wilmington in 2001 and was the manager for Double-A Jacksonville from 2002-04.
Van Scoyoc takes over hitting coach duties after Turner Ward left the Dodgers organization for the same position with the Cincinnati Reds. Coincidentally, like Ward before him, Van Scoyoc joins the team from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Though, this marks the first time he is a member of a Major League coaching staff. Van Scoyoc has previous ties to the Dodgers as he was a hitting consultant from 2016-17. He’s also worked as private hitting instructor since 2011, with J.D. Martinez and Chris Taylor among his clients.
Bates enters into his fifth season with the organization but first on the big league staff. Along with duties for the Dodgers at the Major League level, he will be involved with the development of the organization’s Minor League hitters.
Bates began his coaching career in 2015 as the Rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers hitting coach for two seasons. In 2017 he was the hitting coach with Low-A Great Lakes and last season he spent time as the organization’s assistant hitting coordinator.
Gimenez enters into the coaching ranks fresh off just wrapping up his playing career. A 10-year career concluded with time spent last season with the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs. Gimenez replaces Danny Lehmann, who was the Dodgers’ game planning and communications coach for all of one season.
With the coaching staff in place, the Dodgers may soon revisit contract extension talks with Roberts. Despite the drawn-out process, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has dismissed any reason for concern.
As it stands, Roberts is only due to remain with the team for one more season after the Dodgers exercised their option for 2019. He reportedly is seeking a four-year contract extension.
