Angels hire Steve Martone as assistant GM, shake up coaching staff

New Angels General Manager Billy Eppler has hired another executive away from the New York Yankees, tabbing Steve Martone as an assistant general manager. Martone, 35, spent nine years with the Yankees, the last two as manager of professional scouting.

Eppler was the Yankees’ assistant general manager before being hired by the Angels in October. His first front-office addition was the hiring of Eric Chavez, the former third baseman, as a special assistant. Chavez served in a similar capacity for the Yankees.

Among Martone’s duties in New York were identifying players on other clubs to acquire through trades or free agency. He is expected to have a similar role in Anaheim, though Angels pro scouting director Hal Morris and baseball operations director Justin Hollander will continue to have significant input.

The Angels lost both of their assistant general managers under former GM Jerry Dipoto, with Scott Servais leaving to become manager of the Seattle Mariners and Matt Klentak leaving to become GM of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Angels, who did not renew the contracts of pitching coach Mike Butcher and hitting coach Don Baylor after the season, also shook up their coaching staff, moving Gary DiSarcina from third base coach to first base coach. DiSarcina, the former Angels shortstop, spent two seasons as the third base coach.

Alfredo Griffin, who has spent 16 seasons as the Angels’ first base coach and infield coach, is expected to remain in the organization in another capacity. Dino Ebel, who spent eight seasons as the team’s third base coach before becoming bench coach in 2014, will remain as bench coach.

The Angels also signed left-handed reliever Lucas Luetge, who spent most of the past two seasons with Seattle’s triple-A affiliate in Tacoma, Wash., to a minor league contract. Luetge, 28, has a 4.35 earned-run average in 111 appearances for the Mariners over the past four seasons, striking out 74 and walking 47 in 89 innings.