Player Development News
From the Nationals:
The Washington Nationals today named Mitchell Page minor league hitting coordinator and Randy Knorr manager of Potomac of the Single-A Carolina League. The Nationals also announced that Tony Beasley, the club’s third-base coach in 2006, was offered another job within the organization, but declined.
Given that coach’s contracts expire today (October 31), these moves were necessary to continue their employment with Washington.
Page moves back to the position he held in 2005. This is likely to allow the new manager (when hired) to name his own hitting instructor, or perhaps be brought back as the hitting coach if Page meshes with the new manager’s philosophy. Page has been lauded by the organization for his work with the Nationals over the last two seasons.
Knorr began 2006 as the manager in Potomac but was called up to replace John Wetteland as the bullpen coach upon Wetteland’s termination.
Beasley is likely headed to Pittsburgh, Boston, or New York (AL) as part of their minor league player development.
UPDATE: According to Todd Jacobson, Beasley is headed back to Pittsburgh as their minor league infield coordinator. Beasley is quoted by MLB.com’s Bill Ladson,
“I never once declined [the job]. When I asked for time, Jim’s response to me was, ‘You are refusing the job. You are turning down the job, and I’m going to give it to someone else.’ That’s how it went. I never turned it down, and I didn’t decline.”