DENVER – The Toronto Blue Jays plan to eventually fill the minor-league field co-ordinator position vacated by Eric Wedge, who parted with the club to take over as the head coach at Wichita State, his alma mater.
Wedge joined the Blue Jays in 2016 as a player development advisor, one of several new positions created once Mark Shapiro took over as president and CEO. At the time he was viewed as a manager in waiting behind John Gibbons, but instead the 51-year-old worked closely with first-time farm director Gil Kim, who had worked in scouting with the Texas Rangers.
The Blue Jays didn’t consider Wedge for the manager’s job after they fired Gibbons last fall, although he did interview for managerial vacancies with the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers in previous years. Charlie Montoyo got the job with the Blue Jays instead.
Returning to Wichita State, where Wedge played from 1987-89, “was a unique opportunity for Eric since he went to school there and won there as a player,” Kim said in a text message. “He was very excited about the opportunity, and we supported him. His leadership, toughness and experience made a significant impact here in development, and we’ll miss him.”
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