2:57pm: USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that Strom, Fetters and Carlson have been fired by the Diamondbacks. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 adds that there are no other changes expected for the coaching staff and suggests the new pitching coach could be hired from outside the organization.
2:53pm: Changes are coming to the D-backs coaching staff in 2025. Pitching coach Brent Strom, bullpen coach Mike Fetters and assistant pitching coach Dan Carlson will not return in their current roles, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. It’s not clear whether any of the three will be reassigned and hold a new position within the organization or if they’re moving on entirely.
The 75-year-old Strom’s run as Arizona’s pitching coach will draw to a close after three seasons. The longtime Astros coach hinted at retirement following the 2021 season and announced shortly thereafter that he would not return for a ninth season in Houston. At the time he stepped away from the Astros he noted “I haven’t had a summer in a long time” and quipped “I may just go lie on a beach in Mexico.”
Less than two weeks later, he was hired by the Diamondbacks. It was a move that surprised many, given his prior comments, but Strom resides in the Tucson area and felt the fresh challenge of working with a new organization near his home was too tempting to pass up.
Time will tell whether he plans to continue coaching, but he’s now spent four decades as either a major league coach (Astros, Royals, D-backs) or a minor league pitching coordinator/pitching instructor (Dodgers, Expos, Padres, Cardinals). It would certainly be understandable if he finally plans to step away from the game and enjoy retired life, though he’s among the most respected pitching minds in the game and would surely have interest from other clubs in a variety of roles — if the D-backs aren’t bringing him back in another capacity, of course.
Fetters has been with the D-backs organization for more than a decade, spending time as a scout before joining the coaching staff in 2012. He’s been Arizona’s bullpen coach for the past six seasons. Now 59 years old, he was a first-round pick by the Angels back in 1986 and went on to enjoy a 16-year career as a big league reliever, totaling more than 700 innings and piling up exactly 100 saves. The Diamondbacks are the only organization for which he has ever coached.
Carlson, 54, pitched in parts of four big league seasons and has been the team’s assistant pitching coach for three years. Prior to that role, he was a minor league pitching coach with the D-backs and also served as the organization’s minor league pitching coordinator.
Mehmehmeh
Their loss with Strom. When he left Hou he had competent successors in place and yet the team and fans still all miss him.
Very Barry
Jordan Montgomery fall guy.
paddyo furnichuh
A big Fetters-eque sigh on that comment.
TAKERDBACKS
Absolutely ridiculous!!He was the reason fue success! Toeey should go!
Cam
What success? Their team ERA was 4.62 – ranked 27th in the league. The two seasons before that, they ranked 20th and 23rd.
Under Strom, the pitching has been rubbish.
TAKERDBACKS
What success?! Before the world series last year did you see the team? Who besides gallen and Kelly was great? He helped Kelly.also! This year so many injuries! He turned bullpen guys like Ginkel and Thompson and mantiply into valuable players. Look how Houston misses him. Watch now that he’s gone
rememberthecoop
Well, I find it hard to take anyone seriously who thinks the manager should be fired. If they canned him, teams would be lined up for his services.
Lets Go DBacks
Yeah, fire Torey after achieving 89 wins with crippled and underperforming starting pitchers. What a clown statement.
DarkGhost
Torey also cost them several games throughout the year. He’s a good manager not a great one.
Lets Go DBacks
He also took them to the World Series last year.
Not saying he is a great manager but asking for him to get sacked is absolutely a clown comment.
johnsilver
Something have noticed over the decades.. How the worst of itchers made the best pitching coaches for the most part and yeah.. I think Strom has been a solid coach for a long time, same way felt Dick Pole was a very good pitching coach for years and my poster child for what am mentioning. Is it that those types just know what doesn’t work from their time as pitchers, or they never had the talent to do what they knew would work they themselves were taught? Never thought to ask any of the guys knew fairly close way back, wish would have what made up a solid pitching coach.
RobM
Maybe it’s a bit of selection bias, or non-selection bias?! Guys like Tom Seaver, Jim Palmer, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens, etc. simply will have no interest in the grind, and no financial need of being a pitching coach. Are Gerrit Cole or Justin Verlander going to become pitching coaches? Nah. Not disagreeing though. Sometimes the most talented may not be the best coaches because they believe pitchers and hitters can do what they can. That was always said about Ted Williams, although who knows if that was true but perhaps just a media story.
More recently (last 15 years) and paraphrasing here, I remember a story when a pitcher called his catcher, Jorge Posada, out to the mound annoyed that Posada kept shaking him off. Posada said he didn’t want to call a pitch because the batter could hit it. The pitcher became more animated, “you can hit it, you can hit it, Jorge. 98% of MLB players can’t.”
So is it a question of the elite players aren’t great coaches because they can’t teach their elite skills, or they simply were too great they don’t want the grind? Maybe a little of both.
johnsilver
Robm- Was going to list a few really solid pitchers who had been pitching coaches, but didn’t since the post was long anyway. Will go ahead and list a couple now.. Johnny Podres, Roger Craig, Mel Stottlemyer. Sure, none of those guys played during the time of get rich quick era, but all of them were very good and Craig was responsible for pretty much bringing back the forkball to the game.
Was really more into letting out that most teams have like career milB guys, or fringy MLB players as coaches for the staff and working within the systems for most teams
RobM
Yes. Part of it also could be the analytics movement. They want players who fit into their “system.” Perhaps very experienced and successful pitchers would push back on that. I suspect the days of Podres- and Stottlemyre-level starters being pitching coaches are less likely than a few decades back.
mlb fan
I like the Dbacks chances for next year. There’s a very good chance that Jordy & Erod are much better next year.
Warden of the North(acoss13)
Considering the comments from the owner about Monty this week, there’s a chance he gets traded.
desertdawg
I think there is more than a chance maybe 75% chance.. Sounds like the owner learned a lesson, let your GM build the team.
Warden of the North(acoss13)
Let Mike Hazen do his thing, he’s been one of the good GMs in baseball.
Mojo37
@mlb fan
are the Padres & Dodgers leaving the Western division next year?
letitbelowenstein
Brent Strom started his pitching career when I was 14. I’m a senior citizen. That’s one hell of a baseball career.
RobM
Highly likely he can can another gig if he wants it, but maybe it is time for him to go enjoy that beach.
This one belongs to the Reds
I have found it is more often the ears listening than the one delivering the message. Most pitching coaches more or less preach the same thing.
sufferforsnakes
Fired? For real? Is the source legit?
desertdawg
When D’Back ownership increased payroll up to 175 mil and your pitching staff was 27 out of 30 in MLB and your 14 out 15 in the NL, someone is going to have to take the brunt of the disappointing season as a whole, Strom and his staff were fired. I know he could not for see the injuries to the starting staff, plus signing Montgomery (owners request) having him with no spring training, Kelly and Rodriguez another FA bust so far. with arm troubles. I had a feeling pitching was going to get the most blame and that is where the changes are going to be. This team needs a solid closer, Kelly is a question mark at 36, Gallen going into a FA 2025 season, Pfaat inconsistent, Nelson only one that had a good season that he can build on. Bullpen needs some tweaking with a stopper in the bullpen closing role, not a bullpen by committee it just does not work.
SupremeZeus
Snakes pitching has been bottom 1/3 of the league under Strom. Philosophy seemed to be attempt pitch around the edges and rarely attack the zone. Strom will be 76 in 11 days. Nice coaching career that was faltering at the end. Time to enjoy retirement.
Samuel
SupremeZeus;
Here’s yet another example of how statistics lie……
Brent Strom is the biggest reason the DBacks made the playoffs last year and got into the WS.
As for: “not attack(ing) the zone” – pitchers get killed throwing in the middle of the plate in MLB, and have for decades. The hitters
are simply too good.
The Natural
Strom is certainly very highly respected. Results were not there in 2024 though. The man deserves to retire in peace, but I doubt they’ll find someone better. This particular group of arms may benefit from a different approach and coach.
Non Roster Invitee
I remember I had a baseball card of him in a terribly painted hat due to his just joining the Padres. We called him Burnt Storm. He was like 2 13 with an ERA over 5.00 lifetime on the back of his card. Never would of guessed he would be one of the greatest pitching coaches in the game.
YourDreamGM
Roger Beshens is available to teach them the football slider.
DecaturRagun
Hopefully Strom gets a handsome offer explains the blueprint to the Owner/GM and has Roger Beshens teaching his Football Slider in some capacity. Results will be instant.
DecaturRagun
Explain why the failures of Cecconi, Castellanos, Hughes should be put on Stroms shoulders? Those guys alone LOST the one game needed to make the playoffs.
Cy Young couldn’t help those guys.
The Dbacks should have learned the Roger Beshens Football Slider in May 2018 when he introduced it MLB.
Torey Lovullo must have been driving Strom nuts with mismanaging Puk, Ginkel, Thompson, Martinez.
Not Stroms fault, Floro sucked and Monty in the bullpen. That’s not a pitching coaches job. That’s management ineptness.