CLEVELAND, Ohio — Alex Eckelman and Stephen Osterer have received promotions as the Guardians set their player development department for the 2025 season.
Eckelman, entering his 16th season with the organiztion, will remain as vice president of hitting, while taking on a greater role in the acquisition of players.
Osterer will be the new director of player development, taking over many of the duties of Rob Cerfolio, who left to join the Cardinals’ organization.
He is entering his sixth season in Cleveland, spending the last three as director of pitching development. Before joining the Guards, Osterer founded and operated the Baseball Development Group, a high-performance baseball training facility in Toronto, Ontario.
Alyssa Nakken joins the Guardians after spending the last five years as a member of the Giants’ big-league coaching staff.AP
Alyssa Nakken has been hired as the assistant director of player development after spending the last five years as a member of the Giants’ big-league coaching staff. She will work at the team’s spring training complex in Goodyear, Arizona.
She if the first female coach to appear on the field during a spring training game in 2020 and in a regular season game in 2022. She began her career with the Giants in 2014 as an intern in the baseball operation department following a successful collegiate softball career at Sacramento State.
Connor Watson, another new hire, has been named assistant director of hitting development. He spent the last three years working for Drivline Arizona.
Other promotions include:
- Nate Freiman: He has been promoted to vice president of hitting after spending his last three years as director hitting development. Freiman, who joined the Guardians in 2019, will work with Eckelman in helping the Guardians minor league hitters and hitting coaches. Freiman played nine years professionally, reaching the big leagues with the A’s in 2013 and 2014.
- Will Huntington: He has been promoted to assistant director of development.
- Ilanana Mishkin: She will continue in her role as assistant director of player development. Mishkin, who joined the organization in 2019, will take on more of a leadership role in the day-to-day operations of the department.
- JB Early: He will work with big-league coach Kai Correa to implement a system-wide approach to defense, baserunning and game strategy. He spent the last three years as the Guardians’ minor league infield coordinator.
Here are the other members of the Guards’ player development department:
- Asst. Director Physical Development: Lionel Chia.
- Asst. Director, Dominican Republic Operations: Ishmael Jansen.
- Asst. Director, Pitching Development: Ben Johnson.
- Asst. Director, Goodyear Operations: Amiro Santana.
- Strength and Conditioning Coordinator, Arizona: Josh Kesel.
- Hitting Coordinator: Craig Massoni.
- Outfield Coordinator: TJ Rivera.
- Coordinator, Hitting Development, Latin American: Chris Smith.
- AAA Bench Coach/Asst. Coord., Baserunning: Daniel Robertson.
- AA Bench Coach/Asst. Coord., Infield: Marc Mumper.
- Asst. Coord., AZ/DR, Outfield/Baserunning: Dennis Malave.
- Manager, Dominican Republic Operations: Ricardo Garcia.
- Dir., Minor League Medical Services: Jeremy Harris.
- Asst. Dir., Minor League Medical Services: Daniel Himmerick.
- Senior Sports Scientist: Josh Morrison.