Ozzie Timmons, Jumbo Diaz re-join Rays organization as minor league coaches
The Tampa Bay Rays have named the minor league on-field coaching and medical staffs for the 2025 season.
The Tampa Bay Rays have named the minor league on-field coaching and medical staffs for the 2025 season, and two pleasant surprises were included!
The first is the return of Ozzie Timmons, longtime first base coach of the Rays who was famous for doing pushups in the dugout. He spent the last few years as the primary hitting coach for the Brewers. That position is frequently short lived, and now a free agent Timmons is returning to the Rays in a coaching development role for the whole organization.
The second is Jumbo Diaz, a relief pitcher who was beloved internally by the Rays when he pitched his final professional season in 2017. He’ll be serving as a pitching coach in the Dominican Republic. In 30.0 innings he had a 5.70 ERA and 4.52 FIP but his legacy looms larger!
Here’s the content from the press release, including the promotion of Triple-A bench coach Reinaldo Ruiz to an org-wide role that caused a cascade of promotions in the minor league coaching staffs.
The Tampa Bay Rays have named the minor league on-field coaching and medical staffs for the 2025 season.
- Roving Infield Instructor Ivan Ochoa, spent last season as Infield Coordinator
- Roving Outfield and Catching Instructor Reinaldo Ruiz, spent last season as Bench Coach for Triple-A Durham
- Pitching Strategist Tony Watson, spent last season as Roving Pitching Instructor
- Performance Integration Coordinator Drew Jarmuz, spent last season as Nutrition Science Coordinator
Below are the new hires for minor league coordinator and roving instructor roles:
- Minor League Rehab Medical Coordinator Logan Nordquist, spent last season as Physical Therapist in the Chicago Cubs organization
Below are the new hires to the minor league on-field coaching and medical staffs:
- Process and Integration Strategist Nick Rogers, spent last season as Data Apprentice with the Texas Rangers
- Bowling Green Strength & Conditioning Coach Grace Cullen, spent last season as Strength & Conditioning Coach at Queens University of Charlotte
- Charleston Strength & Conditioning Coach Rance Terry, spent last season as Performance Coach at the University of Louisville
- DSL Assistant Pitching Coach Jumbo Díaz, spent last season as Player/Coach with Los Toros del Este
- DSL Development Coach Malik Blaise, spent last season as Assistant Coach Dillard (La.) University
- Minor League Athletic Trainer Caitlin Lucas, spent last season as DR Athletic Training Coordinator with the New York Mets
- Minor League Physical Therapist Andrew Rigney, spent last season as Minor League Physical Therapist with the Boston Red Sox
- Seasonal Physical Therapist Adeline Scott, spent last season as Student Physical Therapist with the Baltimore Orioles
Below are new roles in Player Development Leadership and Administration and Baseball Performance Science:
- Special Assistant, Coaching Development Ozzie Timmons, spent last season as MLB Hitting Coach with the Milwaukee Brewers
- Assistant Director, Minor League Operations Jeremy Sanders, spent last season as Coordinator, Minor League Operations
- Lead Analyst, Hitting Development David Marshall, spent last season as Lead Analyst, Baseball Research and Development
- Assistant, Latin America Player Programs Ethan Richards, spent last season as Affiliate Video Intern with Triple-A Durham
- Assistant, International Operations and Player Development Kevin Peralta, spent last season as Performance Science – DR Academy
- Minor League Food Services Manager Sean Jones, spent last season as Minor League Clubhouse/Nutrition Assistant – FCL
- Biomechanist Amanda Astrologo, spent last season as Assistant, Baseball Performance Science.
Below are the organizational changes to the minor league coaching and medical staffs for the 2025 season:
Name / Position, 2025 Club / 2024 Assignment
- German Melendez / Bench Coach, Durham (AAA) / Bench Coach with Montgomery (AA)
- Zac Law / Bullpen Coach, Durham (AAA) / Major League Rehab Bullpen Catcher
- Austin Teets / S&C Coach, Durham (AAA) / S&C Coach with Montgomery (AA)
- Jim Paduch / Pitching Coach, Montgomery (AA) / Pitching Coach with Bowling Green (A)
- Ronnie Richardson / Bench Coach, Montgomery (AA) / Bench Coach with Charleston (A)
- Esteban González / Coach, Montgomery (AA) / Bench Coach with FCL Rays
- Victor Cruz / S&C Coach, Montgomery (AA) / S&C Coach with FCL Rays
- Steve Merriman / Pitching Coach, Bowling Green (A) / Pitching Coach with Montgomery (AA)
- Grace Cullen / S&C Coach, Bowling Green (A) / S&C Coach, Queens Univ. of Charlotte
- Francisco Leandro / Bench Coach, Charleston (A) / Coach with FCL Rays
- Rance Terry / S&C Coach, Charleston (A) / Performance Coach, Univ. of Louisville
- Kyndell Crowell / Athletic Trainer, Charleston (A) / Athletic Trainer with FCL Rays
- Malik Blaise / Development Coach, DSL / Assistant Coach, Dillard Univ.
- Eleardo Cabrera / Athletic Trainer, DSL / Assistant Coach with DSL
- Elliot Cox / Process & Development, DUR, MTG, BG / None
- David Lianes / Process & Development, CHS, FCL, DSL / None