The Texas Rangers announced that Don Wakamatsu and Dan Warthen have been officially named to the 2018 coaching staff. Wakamatsu will be the Rangers’ bench coach, and Warthen will be the assistant pitching coach. Steve Buechele, who was the bench coach last year, moves to first base coach.
The hiring of Wakamatsu, who was a coach for the Rangers a decade ago before managing the Mariners and then being the Royals’ bench coach the past four years, had been expected, based on reports from a few days ago. The addition of Warthen, however, is a surprise.