Class AAA Rochester hitting coach Chad Allen is one of the candidates to join the Twins coaching staff, according to sources.
Allen was at the winter meetings on Monday to discuss different roles with club, including working on the major league staff. The Twins have one spot to fill on the staff after hiring hitting coach James Rowson last week.
That means Allen would not be the hitting coach, but could land at first base. But the Twins might have another role in mind.
Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey and General Manager Thad Levine on Monday spoke of shifting roles on the staff. A few years ago, MLB allowed teams to add one extra coach to their staff. Many teams used it for a second hitting coach. Some teams have begun using the extra position to hire a quality control coach, and indications are that the Twins would like to head in that direction.
UPDATE: I just went through every media guide to see how many clubs have different coaching set ups. I found five that did not list an assistant hitting coach. The Phillies have an assistant pitching coach,
Several teams do have someone listed as a, "quality control coach" or something similar to that. But it is in addition to the other seven coaches and manager. That means they are not in uniform and on the bench during games.
So I'm interested to see how the Twins will shape their staff.
