Orioles manager Craig Albernaz’s first staff is nearly complete. There are 11 confirmed coaches, four holdovers and seven newcomers.
Third base coach Buck Britton, pitching coach Drew French and his assistants, Ryan Klimek and Mitch Plassmeyer, are back.
New are bench coach Donnie Ecker, hitting coach Dustin Lind, first base coach Jason Bourgeois, assistant hitting coach Brady North, bullpen coach Hank Conger, infield coach Miguel Cairo and catching coach Joe Singley.
“We were aggressive in going after people that we really wanted,” Matt Blood, vice president of player and staff development said at last week’s Winter Meetings in Orlando. “We have a lot of similar philosophy, and so we were able to target who we wanted and we went after them, and we got them, and we’re really excited about this group.
“They work really well together. They’re hungry. They’re motivated. They’re player-centered, they’re player-focused. They just want to do good work to help the team do well. We’re excited.”
Blood worked closely with Albernaz to make sure the staff jelled, and he raves about what the new manager brings to the Orioles.
“He is an energy provider,” he said. “People really gravitate to his message and his personality. He’s been with a few organizations, and he’s come out of those experiences with a lot of good ideas with how to do things well.
“His leadership qualities and instincts are really impressive, and it shines through the way he interacts with people. It makes them want to get on board with him. I think he’s going to elevate us in every way. It’s been great working with him so far.”
The age and the experience of the staff varies. Cairo, the oldest at 51, played 17 major league seasons for nine teams and served as interim manager for the Chicago White Sox in 2022 and Washington in 2025.
“When you’re trying to put a staff together you want diverse skill sets and diverse backgrounds and experiences,” Blood said. “We have some young people and we’ve got some with a lot more experience. We have some that played in the major leagues and some that didn’t. This group because of that is really dynamic and he brings a wealth of knowledge, not just as a player, but also he’s coached all over the place, in minor leagues, major leagues.
“He’s been a coordinator, and he’s just like superhuman. Just a really great guy. I think our players are going to love him, but he’s going to be a great resource for Alby, for the rest of our staff. He’s already been motivated talking to our minor league staff. He’s one of these guys that’s kind of like all-in.”
Singley comes from the Miami Marlins. At 28, he’s the youngest coach on Albernaz’s staff.
“When you’re putting a staff together, you’re looking in a lot of places,” Blood said. “Oftentimes you’re more comfortable with people you’re familiar with or that you’ve worked with before. You know what they’re about. You’ve seen them work. You can trust them a little more. Some of them are connected to him through some of the other places he’s been. He has proven that he is an excellent mind when it comes to the development of catching but also connecting with players and presenting information to players.
“He’s well-regarded in the industry as someone who understands how to present information and how to coach catching. Albernaz really likes the way that he goes about it. He’s a really impressive guy. That one was basically a no-brainer once we got him in the door and got to know him a little better.”
Perhaps the most intriguing of all the staff hires came right before Thanksgiving when the Orioles hired Mike Shildt, who managed the San Diego Padres for the last two seasons as well as the St. Louis Cardinals for four seasons. Shildt, will be the upper-level coordinator of instruction.
“What a treat for our minor league coaches and players to have someone with that background and that experience to be there with them and help them see things that just can’t see because they haven’t done what he’s done,” Blood said. “He’s going to be able to be a teacher and a mentor, and bring a discerning eye. He’s done every level in the game.
“At heart, he is a teacher. That’s what he is, and he loves just development, and helping people improve. When we talked about this opportunity, that’s what really spoke through for him. He wasn’t really interested in trying to be a major league manager or get on a major league staff. He genuinely just wanted to help coach our coaches and our minor league players. He’s given his life to the game if you look at his story. You know who he’s about. A huge plus for our players. He should make us a lot better.”
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