Detroit Tigers promote Gary Jones to first base coach; Lloyd McClendon returns to Toledo

The Detroit Tigers have shifted gears.

Triple-A Toledo manager Gary Jones, hired in early December to lead the Mud Hens, received a promotion Thursday when Tigers manager AJ Hinch added the 61-year-old to his MLB coaching staff as the team's first base coach, filling Kimera Bartee's role.

Bartee died suddenly from a brain tumor in December at the age of 49.

TOP PROSPECT: Tigers prospect Jackson Jobe 'counting down the days' until mini-camp in Lakeland

A ROOKIE NO MORE: Casey Mize compares his splitter to chocolate sprinkles, sets bar at World Series

To replace Jones at the Triple-A level, the Tigers brought Lloyd McClendon back to the organization as the Mud Hens' manager. The 63-year-old has MLB managerial experience with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2001-05), Seattle Mariners (2014-15) and Tigers (interim in 2020).

McClendon has a 501-613 record in his MLB managerial career. He also played eight years in the majors for the Cincinnati Reds (1987-88), Chicago Cubs (1989-90) and Pirates (1990-94), hitting .244 with 35 home runs, 143 walks and 165 strikeouts in 570 games.

In Pittsburgh, Jim Leyland was McClendon's manager. He brought McClendon with him to the Tigers in 2006 as one of his assistant coaches.

The 2022 season marks McClendon's third stint with the Tigers, this time hired by new vice president of player development Ryan Garko. McClendon previously worked for former Tigers managers Leyland and Ron Gardenhire.

The Tigers invited McClendon to rejoin the organization because he has a wealth of baseball experience. He is expected to assist the Tigers' new minor-league coordinators, such as 31-year-old hitting coordinator Max Gordon, for example, in their quest to connect with players.

HALL OF FAME: Former Tigers manager Jim Leyland: Barry Bonds 'belongs in Cooperstown'

COACHES IN MINORS: Tigers announce 2022 minor league coaches, player development staffers

Gordon spent the past five years at Driveline Baseball, a data-driven player development academy, and was a volunteer assistant coach at Michigan in 2020.

McClendon, a well-respected former MLB outfielder, should be able to help his players in Toledo trust the organization's analytical recommendations.

"I am looking forward to returning to Toledo and working with the Tigers in a developmental role," McClendon said in a statement. "Fifth Third Field is a tremendous ballpark and Toledo has some of the most passionate baseball fans in all of minor league baseball. It is something that I really enjoyed being around in 2016 and am looking forward to that once again."

This offseason, the Tigers also hired upper-levels pitching coordinator Steve Smith. The 60-year-old is transitioning from college to professional baseball for the first time in his coaching career.

The Tigers also added lower-levels pitching coordinator Stephanos Stroop. The 34-year-old spent the past three years as a pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ryan Sienko, a 46-year-old who flamed out in the minor leagues in the early 2000s, is new to the Tigers as the farm system's director of coaching, after a seven-year stint in the Dodgers' organization.

The last time McClendon appeared in Triple-A Toledo was 2016, when he managed the Mud Hens to a 68-76 record in his lone season as a minor-league skipper.

In September 2020, McClendon was named interim manager for the Tigers after Gardenhire announced his retirement. One month later, Hinch was named the Tigers' manager and did not keep McClendon on the coaching staff.

"It is great to welcome Lloyd McClendon back to the Mud Hens,” Mud Hens general manager Erik Ibsen said in a statement. "He brings a wealth of knowledge with him from the major league level and knows what the city of Toledo is all about from his time back in 2016. This is another reason to get us excited about baseball coming back to Fifth Third Field in April."

The Mud Hens' 2022 season begins April 5.

Jones has five seasons of MLB coaching experience, first in 1998 as the first base coach for the Oakland Athletics and then from 2014-17 as the third base coach for the Cubs.

Chicago made the postseason in three of Jones' four years, winning the 2016 World Series.

Coaching for the Cubs, Jones built a close relationship with Tigers shortstop Javier Baez. The 29-year-old played for the Cubs (2014-21) and New York Mets (2021) before signing a six-year, $140 million contract in December to join the Tigers.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers promote Gary Jones from Triple-A Toledo to MLB coach