The Mariners Tuesday added former major league relief pitcher Jim Brower, who spent the past two seasons as minor league pitching coordinator for the Chicago Cubs, to manager Scott Servais’s staff as an assistant coach. Seattle has one staff vacancy remaining, bullpen coach.
Prior to joining the Cubs in 2016, Brower, 44, was the pitching coach for Northwest Arkansas, Kansas City’s AA affiliate, from 2013-15. He also served in the same role for two seasons (2011-12) with Kane County, the Royals A affiliate.
Brower played nine years in the majors, appearing with Cleveland (1999-00), Cincinnati (2001-02), Montreal (2002), San Francisco (2003-05), Atlanta (2005), Baltimore (2006), San Diego (2006) and New York-AL (2007). In 354 appearances, including 28 starts, he went 33-32 with a 4.67 ERA with 397 strikeouts and 256 walks.
A native of Edina, MN, Brower attended the University of Minnesota before being selected by Texas in the sixth round of the 1994 draft.
The Mariners fired two coaches following the 2017 season, bench coach Tim Bogar and first base coach Casey Candaele. Servais made some job changes among the returnees. This is the 2018 staff, missing only the bullpen coach:
Bench: Manny Acta (first year as bench coach, third year on staff)
Hitting: Edgar Martinez (fourth year as hitting coach)
Pitching: Mel Stottlemyre (third year as pitching coach)
Third base: Scott Brosius (first year as third base coach, second year on staff)
First base: Chris Prieto (first year as first base coach, fifth year on staff)
Assistant: Jim Brower (first year)
Mariners off-season transactions
Oct. 31: Outrighted RHP Casey Lawrence to AAA Tacoma.
Nov. 2: Claimed INF/OF Andrew Romine off waivers from Detroit; reinstated RHP David Phelps and LHP Drew Smyly from the 60-day disabled list; announced that 1B Yonder Alonso, OF Jarrod Dyson, INF Gordon Beckham, C Carlos Ruiz and 1B Danny Valencia had become free agents; declined 2018 options on RHPs Hisashi Iwakuma and Yovani Gallardo.
Nov. 3: Claimed INF Zach Vincej off waivers.
Nov. 7: Outrighted Vincej to Tacoma.
Nov. 14: Hired Jim Brower as an assistant coach.
1 Comment
I’d love to see the Sherriff return as bullpen coach but I think he’s happily retired. I don’t understand retaining Smyly over Kuma. I get it with Kuma but not Smyly.