Atlanta finalizes major league coaching staff for 2024
ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves today named Matt Tuiasosopo, Tom Goodwin and Erick Abreu as third base, first base, and bullpen coach, respectively, finalizing manager Brian Snitker’s coaching staff for the 2024 season. Additionally, bench coach Walt Weiss’ responsibilities have been expanded to include oversight of the club’s infield.
Tuiasosopo, 37, joins the staff as third base coach after spending the previous three seasons managing Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate, where he led the club to a 210-215 (.494) overall record. This is his first appointment to a major league coaching staff, and he will assist Weiss with Atlanta’s infield. A native of Bellevue, WA, he has spent four total seasons managing in Atlanta’s minor leagues, and was given the Bobby Cox Award as the organization’s top manager during his debut campaign in 2019 with Single-A Rome. Tuiasosopo served as third base coach for the National League during the 2022 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, and managed the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League that offseason. A veteran of five major league seasons, Tuiasosopo appeared for the Seattle Mariners (2008-‘10), Detroit Tigers (2013) and Atlanta Braves (2016) over 155 career games.
Goodwin, 55, was named first base coach after spending the prior two seasons as a roving instructor with Atlanta’s minor league affiliates. He has two previous stints as a major league first base coach, serving in the role for the Boston Red Sox from 2018-‘21, and with the New York Mets from 2012-‘17. He won a World Series title with Boston in 2018. The Fresno, CA, native played in 1,288 major league games over a 14-year career from 1991-2004, and his 298 stolen bases between 1995-2000 were the most in baseball.
Abreu, 40, joins as Atlanta’s bullpen coach from the Houston Astros organization in his first appointment to a major league coaching staff. He spent the previous nine seasons as a pitching coach in Houston’s minor league system, including the previous three campaigns with the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate. He also had stops with the Astros’ DSL (2014-’15) and GCL (2016) affiliates, rookie-level Greeneville (2017), Single-A Tri-City (2018) and High-A Quad City (2019). Abreu pitched nine years in the minors, originally in the Yankees system before spending his final five seasons with the Astros. A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, he compiled a 40-31 record and a 3.77 ERA (269 ER/642.1 IP) over 217 affiliated games.
