WORCESTER — With baseball beginning in two months, the Boston Red Sox announced personnel moves within their minor league coaching staff and player development department on Thursday.
And two of Worcester’s own received new job titles.
Brian Abraham has been promoted to senior director of player development while Rich Gedman has been named player development hitting advisor.
“With strong organizational leadership and exceptional resources, player development has been empowered to push the boundaries of growth, fostering a sustainable and impactful group of players year after year,” Abraham told the T&G Thursday. “As we prepare to head south in 2025, we’re excited to work with players who have dedicated their offseason and lives to improving both on and off the field. Together, we will continue that journey toward achieving their goals and contributing to something greater than ourselves.”
Born and raised in Worcester, Abraham played baseball at St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury and then at Holy Cross before joining fellow Worcester native J.P. Ricciardi with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2007. Abraham worked for the Blue Jays as an advance scouting and video coordinator and then joined the Red Sox organization in 2013.
Abraham started out in Boston as a bullpen catcher — he played catcher at St. John’s and Holy Cross — and was promoted to assistant director of player development a year later.
After serving as director of player development since 2020, Abraham continues to rise through the ranks with the Red Sox organization.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of such an outstanding organization and player development group,” Abraham, 40, said. “One that challenges both our players and staff to improve every day and strive to become championship-caliber individuals.”
Gedman, who grew up around the corner from Polar Park on Lafeyette Street and was the first WooSox hitting coach in the team’s short history, spent last season as co-hitting coach with Doug Clark.
Now, a season later, the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate has hired Collin Hetzler as its new co-hitting coach (to go along with Clark) while Gedman takes over as player development hitting advisor.
The 65-year-old member of both the WooSox and Red Sox Hall of Fame will still work all home games at Polar Park with Worcester but will not travel on the road with the team.
Other moves involving WooSox personnel include Iggy Suarez being added as defensive coach, after spending 2018-24 as High-A Greenville’s manager, and Nick LaRue being named the club’s strength and conditioning coach after previously working in that role within the Houston Astros organization.
The Worcester Red Sox open their season with a game against the Syracuse Mets on March 29 at Polar Park.
