Springfield Cardinals coaching staff announced for 2021 season

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The St. Louis Cardinals have announced that Jose Leger has been named the new manager of the Springfield Cardinals for the 2021 season, becoming the seventh manager in the organization’s history.

Additionally, Darwin Marrero will be returning for his fourth season as the Cardinals pitching coach and Tyger Pederson has been announced as the Cardinals hitting coach, both of whom were slated to serve in the same roles last year.

Leger (leh-HAIR), 38, enters his fourth season with the Cardinals and his first as a manager within the organization. He has served as the St. Louis Cardinals Latin American Field & Academy Development Coordinator since 2017.

We have announced our minor league coaching staff for the upcoming season. pic.twitter.com/JIlCNHe88e

— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) January 16, 2021

Previously, Leger spent eight seasons (2010-17) as a manager within the New York Mets organization, where he held a managerial record of 389-368 with the Dominican Summer League (DSL) Mets 1 (2010-11), Rookie-level Kingsport Mets (2012-14), Low-A Savannah Sand Gnats (2015) and Low-A Columbia Fireflies (2016-17). Leger led Kingsport to the Appalachian League playoffs in 2013 with a 40-27 record and Savannah to the South Atlantic League playoffs in 2015 with an 84-53 record. Leger was named South Atlantic League Manager of the Year in 2015, and managed New York Mets Minor League outfielder and 2007 Heisman Trophy Winner Tim Tebow while the former Florida Gator was with the Fireflies in 2017.

Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republican, Leger attended Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia. He was signed as a Non-Drafted Free Agent by the Minnesota Twins on June 28, 2004 and spent three seasons in the organization’s system (2004-06), primarily as a third baseman and catcher, rising as high as Double-A New Britain (Eastern League) in 2006.

"After a year without baseball in Springfield, we couldn’t be more excited to announce our new manager,” Springfield Cardinals Vice President/General Manager Dan Reiter said. "We can’t wait to welcome Jose into the great community we have here in Springfield and to see him become the latest in the line of excellent managers that have led our team. Jose’s prior managerial experience and his three years leading and developing future St. Louis Cardinals means we’re getting a respected leader with an accomplished player development skillset.'

“On top of that, we’re thrilled to be able to once again welcome back Darwin as our pitching coach and to see Tyger make his year-long awaited arrival in Springfield, and know that both will be terrific pieces of Jose’s field staff.”

Marrero, 40, is beginning his ninth season in the Cardinals organization and fourth with Springfield. In 2019, Marrero helped develop and guide Springfield RHP Angel Rondon to the St. Louis Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Year award and a league-best 3.21 ERA. Marrero's career with St. Louis began as pitching coach for the Gulf Coast League Cardinals (Rookie) from 2013-14, followed by the same role with the State College Spikes (Class-A) from 2015-17.

Prior to joining the Cardinals system, Marrero was Pitching Coach for the Sioux City Explorers in the American Association (2008). In 2005, he was Pitching Coach for the Capitales de Quebec in the Can-Am League while also throwing 38 innings as a player. Marrero's playing career spanned seven seasons from 1998-2004 with the Montreal Expos organization, attaining his highest level at Double-A with the Harrisburg Senators in 2002 and 2004.

Pederson, 32, will begin his first season as Springfield's hitting coach and third in the Cardinals organization. Pederson was the Hitting Coach for the Palm Beach Cardinals (High-A) in 2019 and was originally named Springfield’s hitting coach in 2020.

Pederson’s coaching experience also includes managing the Duluth Huskies in 2018, leading the team to the Northwoods League Division Championship while setting franchise records in wins, runs scored and stolen bases. Before that, he worked as assistant coach for Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo's baseball team in 2018 and as the graduate assistant coach at Hawaii Pacific in 2017. Pederson was a coach in Taiwan for Major League Baseball and managed the Orange County Riptide to a California Collegiate League championship in 2017, earning CCL Manager of the Year Honors.

The former multi-sport standout at Palo Alto High School played college baseball at the University of the Pacific, where he was team captain his senior year playing second base. In 2013, the Los Angeles Dodgers selected him with their 33rd round pick in the June 2013 First-Year Player Draft. Pederson played one year of professional baseball in the Arizona League before competing in Independent League baseball from 2014-16 with the San Rafael Pacifics and Vallejo Admirals.

Pederson is the son of former Dodgers outfielder Stu Pederson, and the older brother of former Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star outfielder Joc Pederson. His sister, Jacey, plays soccer for UCLA. He resides in Palo Alto, Calif.

Two more returners fill out the Cardinals 2021 field staff with Chris Whitman returning for his second season as Springfield's athletic trainer and Dan Vega returning for his second season as Springfield's strength and conditioning coach. Whitman was also part of the 2020 St. Louis Cardinals Alternate Training Site staff at Hammons Field.