Arizona Diamondbacks to Hire Dave Magadan as Hitting Coach
By Thomas Lynch
The Arizona Diamondbacks are set to hire Dave Magadan to be the team’s new hitting coach.
According to Steve Gilbert at mlb.com, the Arizona Diamondbacks are set to hire Dave Magadan as the team’s new hitting coach. Magadan, who spent the last three seasons in the same role with the Texas Rangers, played 16 seasons in the Majors for seven different teams and owns a lifetime hitting mark of .288. After retirement, he embarked on a coaching career that has taken him to three other organizations prior to the D-backs.
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After retiring as a member of the San Diego Padres following the 2001 season, Magadan joined the organization as a Minor League hitting instructor. Following the 2006 season which resulted in a National League West title, Bruce Bochy resigned as manager and Magadan subsequently was dismissed from the organization. He then was named the hitting coach for the Boston Red Sox prior to the 2007 campaign. That October, Boston won its second World Series title in four years and Magadan remained in Boston until after the 2012 season when he left the organization voluntarily. He the hooked on with the Rangers and in 2015 Texas returned to the playoffs on the strength of its .325 on-base percentage and their 754 runs scored, placing them third in the American League in both categories. He parted ways with the Rangers after the year in order to allow manager Jeff Bannister to choose his own hitting coach.
D-backs deal Webster
A week after being designated for assignment, right-handed pitcher Allen Webster was dealt by the D-backs to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for cash considerations. He came to the Snakes last December along with Rubby De La Rosa in exchange for Wade Miley. The 28-year old Webster struggled in Arizona, compiling a 5.81 ERA in nine appearances, five of them starts. He also was hit hard at Triple A Reno with an 8.18 ERA in 15 games pitched.
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The Pirates mark the fourth organizational stop for Webster since being drafted in the 18th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 20008 Draft. He was ranked as a Top 100 prospect between 2012 and 2014 by both Baseball America and MLB.com. With Pittsburgh’s history of reviving the careers of pitchers such as Francisco Liriano and A.J. Burnett, Webster may have found a place that will help him succeed.