Mariners promote Emanuel Sifuentes to fill Andy McKay’s role as director of player development

Even with baseball being in a lockout, Mariners were able to still announce promotions within their front office and high performance staff, including the replacement for Andy McKay, who moved from the front-office position of director of player development into a coaching position on the Major League staff.

Emanuel Sifuentes, who has been with the organization for eight years, was named as McKay’s replacement, moving up from his role as assistant director of player development.

He will be responsible for leading and overseeing the organization’s player development staff throughout every affiliate in the minor leagues. From 2019-20, he served as the manager of player personnel.  He joined the Mariners as a coordinator in the advanced scouting department in 2014 after serving as an intern in the Dodgers’ baseball-operations staff in 2013.

Mat Snider will move into Sifuentes’ old position.

Snider, who is entering his fourth season in the organization, spent the previous three seasons as a coordinator of player development. He is also a former player and Pepperdine grad.

“The key to our success comes down to how well we care for, educate and develop our players,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. “These leaders ensure this as our focus every day, bringing high levels of communication, innovation and creativity along the way.”

The Mariners made the following promotions in the high performance department:

• Rob Scheidegger – Senior Director, High Performance
• Kate Weiss – Director, Sports Science
• John Walker – Manager, Rehab and Return to Play
• Greg Ackerman – Analyst, Sports Science

Scheidegger, who spent nearly 20 years in the University of Washington Department of Athletics, most recently holding the position of Associate Athletic Director for Health & Wellness – Head Athletic Trainer, joined the Mariners as manager of high performance on April 23, 2021. He oversees and manages the medical and athletic training staffs as well as supervision of strength & conditioning, sports science and performance nutrition throughout the organization.

Weiss also joined the Mariners organization in March 19, 2021, serving as a coordinator in sports science. Per the release, she oversees “the gathering and dissemination of all data relating to player health, readiness and performance.” She spent the previous 2 1/2 years with the Dodgers as Major League sports science coordinator. She received her Bachelor of Science, Kinesiology from the University of Southern California in 2009, Master of Science, Exercise Science – Biomechanics from Ball State University in 2013 and PhD in Sport Science and Biomechanics from Auckland (NZ) University of Technology in 2017.

Walker, who is entering his fifth season in the Mariners organization, will oversee all player rehabilitation across the organization’s minor-league affiliates as well as the Major League club. He previously served as Coordinator, Minor League Medical and Athletic Training since 2018. Walker worked as a Physical Therapist in the Cincinnati Reds organization from 2004-10 and received his Master’s, Physical Therapy from East Carolina University.

Ackerman joined the Mariners organization in May of 2021. In his role as sports science analyst, he will monitor and engage in quantitative analysis, focusing on athlete workload, athleticism, baseball biomechanics and injury prevention. He spent parts of three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2017-20 and is a 2015 graduate from Syracuse University.