Cleveland Guardians Lose Assistant Pitching Coach to Reds

The Cleveland Guardians went into the offseason fully expecting to bring back their entire coaching staff. That includes manager Stephen Vogt; after a brief period of speculation, he could depart for the Seattle Mariners.

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The caveat, though, was that members of Cleveland’s current coaching staff could leave for a role or promotion with another organization. That’s exactly what happened on Wednesday afternoon.

The Cincinnati Redsannounced that Joe Torres had been named their new Major League Pitching Coach, joining former and legendary Guardians manager Terry Francona on the Cleveland National League team.

Torres has been with the organization for a long time. He previously served as the Guardians’ assistant pitching coach for the last five seasons, but joined the team as a coach in the Arizona Complex League in 2017.

Just like a player makes their way through the farm system and eventually reaches the Majors, the same story played out during his ascent to the big leagues. Torres spent time at Single-A Lake County and High-A Lynchburg before having a larger role in the organization.

Jul 8, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A Cleveland Guardians baseball cap and glove sit on the dugout rail before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

The obvious link with Torres joining the Reds, though, is the Francona connection. Torres was named Minor League pitching coordinator in 2020, and then joined Tito in the dugout in 2022. Now, the two reunite in a similar partnership.

It will be interesting to see who the Guardians replace Torres with in his dugout role, and what Torres’ future could have been if he stayed in Cleveland.

Carl Willis is a Hall of Fame coach, but he’s in the twilight of his career. In fact, it’s shocking that the 65-year-old has already committed himself to the 2027 season after taking the last few seasons on a year-by-year basis.

If Torres had stuck around, he could have been in line to become head pitching coach when Willis inevitably retires. Who takes over for Torres and potentially becomes the head pitching coach in waiting?

Brad Goldberg is another one of Cleveland’s current pitching coaches. Would special assistant Corey Kluber be interested in a larger role with the big-league team?

It’s not uncommon for Cleveland to see one of its coaches depart for other organizations, given the staff’s reputation over the past decade. Other examples include Brian Sweeney with the Kansas City Royals and Ruben Niebla with the San Diego Padres.

Now, the question is whether Torres is the only member of Cleveland’s coaching staff to depart for another opportunity this offseason.

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