Third base coach Mike Sarbaugh, bullpen coach Rigo Beltran, and replay coordinator Mike Barnett won’t be returning to the Guardians’ staff next season, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. These are the first known changes to be made to the composition of Cleveland’s staff now that Terry Francona will no longer be managing the team.
Sarbaugh has been a member of the Guardians’ coaching staff since 2013, mostly as the third base coach but also stepping into the bench coach role in 2020 when Sandy Alomar Jr. stepped in as interim manager while Francona was on medical leave. However, Sarbaugh’s ties in the organization date back to 1990, as he played five seasons in the team’s minor league system before beginning a long stretch of coaching and managing at various affiliates within Cleveland’s farm system.
Barnett is also a longtime member of the staff, having worked as the replay coordinator since the 2015-16 offseason. Barnett may be better known for his multiple stints as a hitting coach with the Blue Jays (2002-05), Royals (2006-8), and Astros (2011-12), and his 40-year career in baseball has also taken him to jobs with the Yankees, Diamondbacks, White Sox, and the University of Tennessee.
Beltran’s run on the big league coaching staff will end after just a single season, though he has been in Cleveland’s organization since 2014. Prior to the bullpen coaching job, Beltran was the pitching coach for Triple-A Columbus for the previous four years.