This was Riggins’ first season as pitching coach. He was the organization’s minor league pitching coordinator the previous four seasons. The Reds fired their previous pitching coach Jeff Pico after the 2015 season.
The Reds (30-53) rank last in baseball with a 5.51 team ERA. Their starters have a 5.23 ERA. Their relievers have a 5.95 ERA.
“Mark was a valuable member of this organization for several years,” said Walt Jocketty, Reds director of baseball operations, in a statement. “Before he accepted the job with our Major League team, he contributed to the development of many of our successful young pitchers in the minor leagues. Unfortunately, the pitching on our big league staff has not improved over the course of the season as we had hoped, and it is time for a new voice.
“We are not satisfied with the performance so far this season and will continue to look for ways to improve. We felt it was necessary to make a change in order to accomplish our goals of providing our young pitchers with the best possible resources.”
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