Giants finalize coaching staff for 2022

The Giants finalized manager Gabe Kapler’s 2022 coaching staff by promoting Mark Hallberg to third-base coach and announcing the addition of Pedro Guerrero as assistant hitting coach on Tuesday.

Hallberg, 35, will replace Ron Wotus, who retired at the end of the 2021 campaign. Guerrero, 32, will help fill the void left by hitting coach Donnie Ecker, who departed to become the Rangers’ new bench coach and offensive coordinator earlier this month. Guerrero, a Dominican Republic native who served on Kapler’s staff with the Phillies, is expected to work alongside hitting coach Justin Viele and director of hitting and fellow assistant hitting coach Dustin Lind.

San Francisco also elevated longtime bullpen catcher Taira Uematsu to assistant coach, adding a native Japanese speaker to the Major League coaching staff.

“Mark and Taira earned these promotions through their consistent work throughout these last two seasons,” Kapler said in a statement. “Mark’s attention to detail and selflessness makes him a great fit for the third-base coaching role. Taira has been a contributing part of the Giants' organization for many years, and he will now be able to make a larger impact in his new role as a Major League coach. His versatility and preparedness, as well as his established relationships with players and staff will make an immediate difference for us.

“We’re also excited to bring Pedro on board with our staff. He’s an excellent complement to Justin and Dustin and provides us with a way to better connect with our Spanish-speaking hitters, particularly in the dugout during games.”

Hallberg, Buster Posey’s former roommate at Florida State, was originally added to Kapler’s staff as an assistant coach along with Alyssa Nakken in January 2020. Prior to that, he spent two seasons at the Giants’ Minor League affiliate at Salem-Keizer, managing the club in 2019 and serving as the fundamentals coach in ‘18. A ninth-round Draft pick of the D-backs in 2007, Hallberg began his coaching career with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod League, where he worked from 2014-17.

Guerrero spent the previous four seasons working as an assistant hitting coach for the Phillies, first under Kapler and then under current Philadelphia manager Joe Girardi. He played in the Dodgers' organization for eight Minor League seasons before serving as a bench coach for Rookie-level Ogden when Kapler was Los Angeles’ farm director.

Uematsu, 38, assumes Hallberg’s spot on the full-time staff after spending 14 years with the Giants as a bullpen catcher and medical assistant. He originally joined the Giants' organization in 2006 as an intern bullpen catcher for Triple-A Fresno and has been a certified athletic trainer since ‘09.