In addition to facing questions in free agency, the Los Angeles Dodgers have multiple vacancies to fill on the coaching and developmental side. Within the past month, Matt Herges, Tim Hyers, Gabe Kapler and Jeremy Zoll accepted positions with other clubs.
It’s left the Dodgers in need of a pitching coach for Triple-A Oklahoma City, assistant hitting coach for the Major League club, a director of player development, and assistant director of player development. There was speculation Rick Honeycutt would not return in 2018 as Dodgers pitching coach.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman refuted that notion and added he expected the club’s coaching staff to remain intact for next season. The exception being Hyers, who is now hitting coach for the Boston Red Sox.
Soon after Friedman spoke with media at Dodger Stadium, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported bullpen catcher Rob Flippo will not return in 2018:
Rob Flippo, for 16 years a Dodgers bullpen catcher, has been let go.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) November 8, 2017
In addition to serving as bullpen coach, Flippo was among those who worked as a batting practice pitcher. He threw to Hee-Seop Choi in the 2005 Home Run Derby, and did the same for Matt Kemp in 2011 and 2012.
Flippo first joined the Dodgers organization in 1989 as a Minor League catcher. Prior to embarking on his role as bullpen catcher in 2001, Flippo gained coaching experience at his alma mater Fresno State University, the University of South Alabama, and University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
