Diamondbacks announce 2025 coaching staff, Owen Dew named assistant pitching coach
Dec 13, 2024, 4:22 PM
The Arizona Diamondbacks unveiled their 2025 coaching staff under manager Torey Lovullo on Friday, announcing additions to both the pitching and hitting personnel.
Lovullo enters his ninth season as the skipper, and Jeff Banister will return as his bench coach for a fourth season.
Highly touted first base coach and outfield instructor Dave McKay is back for his 12th campaign with the organization, while the D-backs transferred farm director Shaun Larkin to third base coach. Larkin replaces Tony Perezchica, who departed for the Houston Astros earlier this offseason. Chris Slivka takes the reins at director of player development.
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Hitting coach Joe Mather and assistant hitting coach Damion Easley are back for their fourth seasons, respectively, after the Diamondbacks led MLB with 886 runs scored in 2024.
Former assistant hitting coach and minor league hitting coordinator Rick Short is transitioning to a new role as minor league field coordinator. The D-backs elevated Travis Denker from coaching Triple-A Reno to Arizona’s second assistant hitting coach position.
Who are the Diamondbacks’ newest pitching coaches?
The D-backs hired Owen Dew as assistant pitching coach and Wellington Cepeda as bullpen coach to work alongside first-year pitching coach Brian Kaplan.
Kaplan replaced Brent Strom after the Diamondbacks’ disappointing pitching output in 2024. Arizona let go Strom, assistant pitching coach Dan Carlson and bullpen coach Mike Fetters after the season. Strom joined the Pittsburgh Pirates as an assistant pitching coach.
Dew joins the Diamondbacks after working the last eight seasons in the Cleveland Guardians organization, a franchise that regularly ranks among the top 10 teams in ERA despite low payrolls.
The 36-year-old spent the 2024 campaign as the pitching coach for Triple-A Columbus.
Looking forward to starting a new and exciting chapter with the @Dbacks. Thankful for all the @CleGuardians players, FO, PD staff and mentors who have been so instrumental in helping me learn along the way. https://t.co/sasgfExqav
— Owen Dew (@dewbaseball) December 13, 2024
Cepeda has a long history with the Diamondbacks, dating back to his playing days as a minor leaguer in the late 1990s. He was the Miami Marlins’ bullpen coach from 2020-24, but he spent the previous 19 years in various roles with the Diamondbacks after his last game pitched in 2000.
He managed rookie ball in 2019 before getting hired by Miami for his first MLB role. With the Marlins, Cepeda instructed Diamondbacks left-handed reliever A.J. Puk, who was traded to Arizona last year. The Marlins had a top-12 bullpen ERA in MLB before Puk was traded — Miami dealt closer Tanner Scott to San Diego soon after.
Cepeda manages Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican Winter League this offseason.
The D-backs’ bullpen is largely intact from last year, minus free agent Paul Sewald. Arizona does not roster an obvious closer for next season and is looking at ways to add depth to the bullpen. Puk is a candidate to close games with the current construction, as is hard-throwing right-hander Justin Martinez.
Who is the Diamondbacks’ new assistant hitting coach?
Denker has coached many current Diamondbacks players in the minor leagues, as he spent 2023-24 with Reno, 2021-22 coaching Double-A Amarillo and 2018-19 in High-A Visalia.
Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo, Jake McCarthy, Alek Thomas, Pavin Smith, Jordan Lawlar, Jorge Barrosa and Blaze Alexander are among the players he’s coached over the years, and now Denker receives his first major league coaching opportunity.
The former infielder played 13 years in the minor leagues, making a brief major league appearance with the 2008 San Francisco Giants.
Congratulations to Travis Denker who was named Assistant Hitting Coach on the @Dbacks Major League staff!
Denker has spent the past two seasons in Reno, overseeing the top offense in the PCL and a PCL Championship berth in 2024.
You've got a good one, Diamondback fans! pic.twitter.com/AcjGp7eL46
— Reno Aces (@Aces) December 13, 2024
