ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays filled one opening on their coaching staff by finalizing the hiring of Rodney Linares to handle third base and infield instruction.
Interviews for the field coordinator position remaining ongoing, as Triple-A manager Jared Sandberg declined an offer to take a similar position with his hometown Mariners.
The Tampa Bay Times reported last week Linares, 41, had emerged as the leading candidate for the job. He also fills the Rays' need for a Spanish speaker on the coaching staff in what will be his first major-league assignment after 22 years with the Astros.