Charlie Montoyo has been named the new manager of the Toronto Blue Jays..
Montoyo becomes the 13th manager in Blue Jays history, agreeing to a three-year deal through 2021 with a team option for 2022. Montoyo managed the triple-A Durham Bulls from 2007-14 before joining the Tampa Bay Rays as third base coach in 2015.
He was promoted to Tampa’s bench coach this season. The Blue Jays will officially introduce Montoyo during a news conference Monday at Rogers Centre.
“I am extremely honoured and humbled to join the Toronto Blue Jays organization,” Montoyo said in a statement. “Managing a team that represents an entire nation is incredibly special.
“My family and I look forward to working towards the ultimate goal of winning a championship for this city. I also want to recognize the entire Tampa Bay Rays organization for giving me the chance to start my coaching career.”
The Blue Jays are coming off a 73-89 regular season under John Gibbons. The team announced at the end of the campaign that Gibbons would not be returning to the position in 2019.
“We are thrilled to announce Charlie as the new manager of the Toronto Blue Jays,” GM Ross Atkins said. “Charlie is a highly regarded leader by so many individuals in the game and we were thoroughly impressed by his experiences and approach as we learned more about him during the interview process.
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“Charlie is passionate about the game, with a superior ability to connect and relate and we are confident he will have an overwhelmingly positive influence on Blue Jays players and staff. On a personal level, I am looking forward to working with him as we continue to build and sustain a championship organization.”
Added Toronto president Mark Shapiro: “Charlie possesses the warmth, authenticity, and extensive experience that will help foster a championship culture in our clubhouse and throughout the Blue Jays organization. His collaborative nature and leadership ability will undoubtedly have a broad impact across the club.”
Montoyo, 53, retired as a player after the 1996 season. He spent 10 years as an infielder in the Milwaukee Brewers, Montreal Expos and Philadelphia Phillies organizations.
His lone big-league experience as a player came in 1993 with the Expos when he appeared in four games. Montoyo was a sixth-round selection by Milwaukee in the 1987 first-year player draft.
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The native of Florida, Puerto Rico, has managed teams at every classification in the Rays’ system. He was named International League manager of the year in 2010 and 2013.
Montoyo compiled a 1,266-1,142 (.526) minor-league managerial record. He also coached Team Puerto Rico in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
Montoyo won a Southern League title with the double-A Montgomery Biscuits in 2006 and a Short-A division crown with Hudson Valley in 1998
Gibbons, 56, first managed the Blue Jays from August 2004 to June 2008. He was rehired in November 2012 and guided the team back to the playoffs in 2015, ending the franchise’s 22-year post-season drought.
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