Cardinals, Reds, Twins Announce New Coaching Appointments

Chris Valaika has been appointed as the Cincinnati Reds' Director of Hitting and Major League Hitting Coach, joining former Cleveland manager Terry Francona. Valaika previously served as a hitting coach for the Cleveland Guardians and has a history with the Reds as a former player. Meanwhile, Joe Lendak has been named Boardman High School's new varsity baseball head coach, taking over from Joe Gabriel. The St. Louis Cardinals have hired Brant Brown as their new hitting coach, moving Willie McGee to a special assistant role. The Minnesota Twins have filled a coaching vacancy by hiring Matt Borgschulte, former co-hitting coach for the Baltimore Orioles, to be their hitting coach for the 2025 season, replacing Rudy Hernandez and David Popkins.