Another member of the Braves coaching staff earns a well deserved promotion.
As many await the MLB Hot Stove to really heat up in terms of player movement, the Atlanta Braves are continuing to see more openings on their coaching staff that need to be filled.
The #orioles are hiring Atlanta bullpen coach Drew French as their pitching coach, according to an industry source. French replaces Chris Holt, who maintains his duties as director of pitching.
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) November 29, 2023
That’s three vacancies now on the #Braves coaching staff, with bullpen coach Drew French following the exits of 3B/INF coach Ron Washington, who was hired as Angels manager, and 1B/OF coach Eric Young Sr., hired by Wash to his Angels staff. https://t.co/zZ5uUfiM7a
— David O’Brien (@DOBrienATL) November 29, 2023
Braves (now former) bullpen coach Drew French will be joining the Baltimore Orioles as their new pitching coach. French has been with the Braves since December of 2020, and has played a significant role in overseeing one of the best bullpens in baseball over the past three years. From the “Night Shift” that helped the Braves win the 2021 World Series to helping multiple external arms find good success in Atlanta, it is a well deserved new role for French.
The hiring of French also makes sense from the Orioles perspective, as members of the Baltimore front office were with the Houston Astros at the same time French was coaching in the Astros minor league system. With the Orioles having one of the best young cores in baseball and on the doorstep of being an annual contender along with Atlanta, French steps into a very good opportunity.
As Alex Anthopoulos has mentioned int the past, the Braves are always supportive of members of their staff finding new and better opportunities elsewhere due to their work in Atlanta. Ron Washington, Eric Young Sr., and now French have all earned those opportunities this offseason, and now the Braves have three significant openings to fill on their coaching staff before next season.