Robinson Chirinos, just 40 years old and only two years removed from his MLB career, has now been named the bench coach for the Baltimore Orioles, the team announced on Monday.
Chirinos wrapped up his Major League playing career with the Orioles in 2022, participating in 67 games and hitting .179 with four home runs and 22 RBIs while serving as Adley Rutschman’s backup.
This will mark Chirinos’ first coaching role as he takes over from Fredi Gonzalez, who departed the organization after five years with the big league staff, including three as bench coach. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is entering his seventh season with the team.
The position of bench coach often serves as a stepping stone to management. For example, Will Venable, who was not a bench coach with the Rangers, was hired as an associate manager before the 2023 season as part of Bruce Bochy’s team and took over as manager of the Chicago White Sox last month.
Interestingly, Bochy himself was never a bench coach in the Majors; after his playing days, he spent four years as a minor-league coach and manager before becoming the third-base coach for the San Diego Padres, where he succeeded Jim Riggleman in 1995 at age 39—one year younger than Chirinos is now.
Chirinos played seven of his 11 seasons with the Rangers from 2013 to 2018 and again in 2020, posting a batting line of .230/.322/.434/.756, with 67 home runs and 199 RBIs during that time. From 2017 to 2019, including his last year with the Houston Astros, he hit 52 home runs and had 161 RBIs.
Over his 11-year career, Chirinos had a combined batting line of .226/.319/.419/.738, with a total of 95 home runs and 306 RBIs.
Born in Venezuela, Chirinos signed as an international free agent with the Chicago Cubs in 2000. After spending a decade in their system, he was traded to Tampa Bay, where he made his MLB debut in 2011. He joined the Rangers in 2013 through a trade and served as A.J. Pierzynski’s backup.
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