Padres Hire Alan Zinter as Newest Hitting Coach

The San Diego Padres have reportedly found their new hitting coach in Alan Zinter, as reported by Corey Brock. The club has not confirmed the announcement but following the departure of Mark Kotsay to the A’s new manager Andy Green continues to fill up his coaching staff with a new look.

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Last season Zinter was the assistant hitting coach with the Astros and he was actually teammates with Green in 2004 on the Diamondbacks. Zinter was a hitting coach for Arizona from 2008-2011.

The Padres are retaining pitching coach Darren Balsley and long time third base coach Glenn Hoffman. The key coaching spots left are bench coach after Dave Roberts will not be coming back and in fact is still in talks with the Dodgers about their managerial position. Roberts had interviewed back in early November and reportedly blew the Dodgers away. Nothing yet though in that managerial search which is decidedly higher profile than the Padres search became.

In Zinter, the Padres get a respected hitting coach and one who spent 14 years in the minor leagues before making it to the majors. It has been awhile since the Padres have had a tenured hitting coach as Kotsay lasted only one season in the role. Granted, the coaching change made his departure imminent, and the debate rolls on about exactly what role any hitting coach can have at Petco Park.

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Zinter inherits a team with a few particular “projects” to work on. Jedd Gyorko had a second consecutive great second half – but can Zinter help him carry out a full season of hitting success? What about youngster Travis Jankowski – will he be able to develop and win the full time center field job?

At this point A.J. Preller seems content to go with the middle of the road approach in regards to MLB experience. No one that could be considered a “veteran” at their craft (sorry Dusty Baker), but also not someone brand new to the coaching ranks.