Indians Should Bring Charles Nagy Back

Former Cleveland Indians pitcher Charles Nagy has been relieved of his duties as pitching coach by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Indians should bring him back to the organization as a roving minor league pitching coach.

Image: USA Today

The Arizona Diamondbacks are coming off a disappointing 2013 season where they went 81-81 and General Manager Kevin Towers is shaking things up starting with the coaching staff.

In three years as the Diamondbacks pitching coach their team ERA had a NL rank of 9th in both 2011 and 2012 and 10th in 2012.

The Diamondbacks play in a hitter friendly ballpark and when their team ERA was adjusted to their ballpark (ERA+) they were above the league average of 100 in 2011 and 2012 with an ERA+ of 104 before dropping to below league average at 98 in 2013.

Nagy would be a good hire for the Indians not because he has name recognition after winning 129 games for the Indians from 1990-2002 but he has experience in all areas of baseball. Nagy, much like manager Terry Francona, spent time as a special assistant to Mark Shapiro from 2004 to 2005.

He joined the Los Angeles Angels organization as their Triple A affiliate Salt Lake Bees pitching coach from 2006 to 2007. He left the Bees and took time off to spend time with his family before rejoining the Indians organization in 2010 as the pitching coach for the Indians Triple A affiliate Columbus Clippers.

Nagy has a well-rounded resume and has a relationship with the current front office and should be able to assimilate his teaching to the organization philosophy. He should be a welcomed addition to the Indians as they continue to develop pitching at all levels of the organization.

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