Drayer: Mariners close to adding Brant Brown to coaching staff

The Seattle Mariners are close to adding noted hitting coach Brant Brown to the staff.

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The Mariners have the ability to add an assistant following the departure of Stephen Vogt, who was last year’s bullpen coach for Seattle and is the new manager of the Cleveland Guardians. That move prompted a bit of a shuffle of the staff with president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto telling reporters at the GM meetings last week that he would likely add a coach after shifting Tony Arnerich, who served as one of two Mariners hitting coaches in 2023, to the bullpen role.

Brown, who spent the 2023 season as Miami Marlins hitting coach, appears to be the addition to Seattle’s staff. Though a deal is not expected to be announced for some time, MLB.com reports that Brown and the Mariners have an agreement in place.

Brown has strong ties to the Mariners, having spent five seasons as a coach in the organization starting in 2013 as minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator, and finishing as the team’s offensive coordinator. Prior to joining the M’s organization at that time, Brown was a hitting coach in the Rangers organization under his former Cubs teammate Scott Servais, who served as Texas’ farm director.

After leaving the Mariners following the 2017 season, Brown joined the Dodgers hitting group as assistant hitting coach/minor league coordinator and hitting strategist. In 2020, he was promoted to the big league club as one of two hitting coaches, a position he held until he took the hitting coach job with the Marlins.

.@Marlins hitting coach Brant Brown joins the broadcast to talk about how players approach each game and what they do to get them prepared for the game! #MakeItMiami pic.twitter.com/b505N7yrVT

— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) May 3, 2023

While Brown has coached a long list of standout hitters including Cody Bellinger to Luis Arráez, the list of who he has worked alongside may be just as impressive. Notable on that list is his fellow hitting coach with the Dodgers, Robert Van Scoyoc, who J.D. Martinez, Chris Taylor and most recently Jason Heyward credit for their swing changes, as well as the guru himself Craig Wallenbrock, who Brown spent time with as an assistant.

In addition to his coaching résumé, Brown brings the back of a baseball card with him, having played five seasons in the big leagues with the Cubs, Pirates and Marlins.

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