There will be a number of familiar faces among the Vancouver Canadians coaching staff in 2023.
North Delta, B.C. native Brent Lavallee is back as manager of Monty’s Mounties for a second straight season. The 36-year-old led the club to a 67-62 record and a berth in the Northwest League final in 2022. Also back for a second tour of duty are 30-year-old hitting coach Ryan Wright and 33-year-old pitching coach Joel Bonnett who was the team’s bullpen coach last season. Bonnett takes over for Phil Cundari who is now the pitching coach for Jersey Shore in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Cundari was in charge of the Canadians hurlers in 2021 and 2022. Danny Canellas is the new bench coach as he returns to Vancouver after handling position coach duties for the C’s in 2019 and 2021. The 27-year-old was with Low-A Dunedin last year.
Leading the new faces on the Vancouver staff is position coach Ashley Stephenson. The Canadian Women’s National Baseball Team veteran was a guest instructor at the Blue Jays Player Development Complex in Dunedin in 2022. The 40-year-old from Mississauga, Ontario is the first female coach in Vancouver Canadians history.
Rounding out the coaching staff is former major league pitcher Austin Bibens-Dirx who takes over as bullpen coach. A draft pick of the Seattle Mariners in 2006, Bibens-Dirx was in the Toronto Blue Jays system from 2013-2015 before making his MLB debut with the Texas Rangers in 2017. He earned more time with the Rangers in 2018 before he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers system in 2021. The 37-year-old last pitched in the Mexican League in 2022.
Roelvis Vargas, Tommy LaBriola, Yuka Sanui and Raul Pimentel will reprise their 2022 roles as athletic trainer, strength coach, dietitian and mental coach respectively. Newcomer Luke Statler is now the tech assistant, replacing A.J. Arias.
C-Notes
2019 Vancouver Canadians manager Casey Candaele is back at the helm in Buffalo for another year. He finished out 2022 as Toronto’s bench coach after beginning the year with the Herd to help out Blue Jays manager John Schneider, who led the good ship Canadians in 2011, 2014 and 2015.
At Double-A New Hampshire, 2011 C’s catcher Chris Schaeffer returns as position coach with 2019 C’s trainer Luke Greene.
2021 Canadians manager Donnie Murphy will be the skipper of the Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays for a second consecutive campaign. He will be joined by 2021 C’s trainer Brandon Hammerstrom.
The Florida Complex League Blue Jays will be managed by 2017-2018 C’s position coach José Mayorga and the Dominican Summer League squad will be led by 2013 C’s infielder Andy Fermin.
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