The Orioles are expected to reunite two former major league teammates on their coaching staff, with Cody Asche set to become Baltimore’s main hitting coach and Tommy Joseph expected to join him on the hitting staff, two sources told The Baltimore Banner.

Asche and Joseph played for the Philadelphia Phillies together in 2016. Now, as coaches, they’re expected to lead the task of resurrecting an Orioles offense that suffered from inconsistencies during the latter part of the 2024 season.

One source noted that Baltimore may add personnel to its hitting staff, because the coaching staff at large has not been finalized. The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network first reported the moves; MLB.com also reported Joseph’s expected arrival in Baltimore.

Asche, who was Baltimore’s offensive strategy coach last year, worked closely with outgoing hitting coaches Matt Borgschulte and Ryan Fuller. Borgschulte joined the Minnesota Twins, and Fuller is nearing a position with another major league team, an additional source said. Although Asche’s title was different from the co-hitting coaches, he spent ample time in the batting cages with players.

During the year, first baseman Ryan O’Hearn commended all three coaches for their game planning and knowing “how to attack each pitcher. They really, really care. They put in the time and effort. You can tell. It’s not like you go to them and say, ‘Hey, something’s wrong,’ and then they start working on it. They’re working for you without you even knowing.”

Catcher James McCann noted that Asche’s experience as a major leaguer was helpful, too, because he knows the grind. Asche played four years with the Phillies and one year with the Chicago White Sox. Joseph, who played two seasons for the Phillies, spent last year with the Seattle Mariners as a hitting instructor.

Asche began his coaching career in Philadelphia’s minor league system in 2021, when he served as the hitting coach for Low-A Clearwater. He joined the Orioles organization in 2022 as an upper-level hitting coordinator and made the jump to the major league staff under Brandon Hyde in 2023.

Joseph began as a minor league hitting coach in the New York Mets organization in 2021 before joining an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants in 2023. The Mariners struggled offensively last year, finishing 29th in the majors with a .224 average. With the Giants, however, Joseph worked with some of their well-regarded prospects, such as Wade Meckler, Aeverson Arteaga and Grant McCray. All three performed well under his eye, and McCray made his major league debut this year.

Baltimore was one of the best offensive teams throughout the first half of the season but tapered off. Injuries played a role, although Hyde and general manager Mike Elias said at an end-of-season press conference that the Orioles were at times too reliant on the home run.