Rangers Hire Will Venable As Associate Manager

The former Red Sox coach is the first hire for new manager Bruce Bochy.

The Texas Rangers hired Will Venable to be the team’s associate manager on Wednesday, marking first coaching hire for new manager Bruce Bochy.

The Rangers are still looking for a new pitching coach, which is the one opening remaining on their staff. The Rangers announced no coaching departures on Wednesday, so this appears to be an addition to the staff and not a replacement.

The Rangers announced the hiring via press release.

"Will is highly-regarded within the game, and I am very happy to have him on the staff as we prepare for the 2023 season," Bochy said. "Will has acquired extensive coaching experience in a short period of time since his playing career ended, and that experience will be invaluable to me as we work to build a winning environment in Texas."

Venable joined Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s staff as bench coach for the 2021 season and also coordinated outfield instruction this past season. He spent the previous three years on the Chicago Cubs staff as first (2018-19) and third (2020) base coach.

The 40-year-old Venable played nine seasons as a Major League outfielder with the Padres (2008-15), Rangers (2015), and Dodgers (2016), hitting .249 with 81 homers and 307 RBI in 967 games. He recorded at least 20 steals in four consecutive seasons with San Diego from 2010-13 and was the Padres’ team MVP in 2013.

Per the Rangers website, the coaching staff still includes all of the holdovers from 2022 — Donnie Ecker (Bench Coach/Offensive Coordinator), Tim Hyers (Hitting Coach), Seth Conner (Assistant Hitting Coach), Corey Ragsdale (Field Coordinator/Third Base Coach), Brett Hayes (Bullpen Coach), Bobby Wilson (Catching Coach), Pat Cantwell (Bullpen Catcher) and Josh Frasier (Bullpen Catcher)

Former interim manager and third-base coach Tony Beasley is not listed on the staff roster, but he told the media in October that he intends to return to the Rangers in 2023 as a part of Bochy’s staff.

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