While the Los Angeles Dodgers re-signed David Freese, agreed to a contract extension with Clayton Kershaw and exercised their option on manager Dave Roberts, their Major League coaching staff and front office have seen a slew of departures.
Former third base and infield coach Chris Woodward was first to leave the Dodgers organization, as he was named manager of the Texas Rangers. Soon after assistant hitting coach Luis Ortiz was named to Woodward’s staff as hitting coach.
That came after former hitting coach Turner Ward accepted the same role with the Cincinnati Reds. Game planning/communications coach Danny Lehmann is also among those not returning. Within the front office, Farhan Zaidi left his post as general manager to become president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants.
The Dodgers have yet to hire any replacements, but indications are they will soon name Dino Ebel as their new third base coach, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
The Dodgers plan to begin filling the vacancies on their major league coaching staff in the next few days and Angels coach Dino Ebel is expected to be among the new hires.
Ebel has spent the past 14 seasons on Angels manager Mike Scioscia’s coaching staff. He returned to third base coach in 2018 after spending four seasons as Scioscia’s bench coach. With that also came reassuming duties as the Angels’ outfield coach as well.
Ebel has nine years of experience as third base coach for the Angels (2006-14, 2018) and five as outfield coach (2011-15). In 2017, he also assisted Alfredo Griffin in handling infield coaching duties.
The hire would mark a homecoming of sorts for Ebel, as he signed with the Dodgers as a free agent in 1988. He spent six seasons in the Minors and after time as a player-coach with affiliates in San Antonio and San Bernardino, Ebel became a full-time coach in the Dodgers organization in 1996 and a manager the following year.
