In what’s been a mass exodus of sorts, the first coach the Los Angeles Dodgers saw leave the organization was Chris Woodward as he was named manager of the Texas Rangers.
In the days after that, Turner Ward left to become hitting coach for the Cincinnati Reds, Minor League hitting coordinator Paco Figueroa is now part of the Philadelphia Phillies Major League staff, and Farhan Zaidi is the new San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations.
Thus, along with a winter in which he was expected to retool the roster, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman must now fill out the coaching staff and other positions throughout the organization.
According to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group, Friedman anticipates the search for a new third base coach will commence in the near future:
Friedman said Monday the process of finding a replacement for Woodward on the Dodgers’ coaching staff will begin “in short order.”
Friedman went on to credit Woodward for being instrumental to the Dodgers’ success and wished him well:
“Chris has been a significant contributor to our success over the last three years,” Friedman said. “We wish him and his family all the best and they will be missed.”
While Woodward was most prominently viewed as the club’s third base coach, several Dodgers, manager Dave Roberts and Friedman all praised him for his heralded work with the infielders.
Woodward was particularly heralded for aiding Manny Machado in becoming stellar if not elite at shortstop after he was acquired by the Dodgers.
