The Orioles are planning to hire Donnie Ecker as bench coach, according to a source with direct knowledge of the hire who requested anonymity in order to discuss internal team business.

Ecker overlapped with new Orioles manager Craig Albernaz in 2020 and 2021 when he was San Francisco’s hitting coach while Albernaz served as bullpen coach.

Ecker will replace Robinson Chirinos, who served as a first-time bench coach in 2025 for Brandon Hyde and Tony Mansolino. Chirinos, sources said, is exploring opportunities with other organizations.

Ecker most recently served as the Texas Rangers’ offensive coordinator before being dismissed in May of this year. He was also bench coach for three seasons.

Ecker, whose expected hiring was first reported by The Baltimore Sun, played in the minor leagues before switching to coaching. His first foray into coaching came at the high school level in Los Altos, California, but he soon jumped into the professional ranks as a player development coach for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015. He served as a hitting coach for the Los Angeles Angels’ Triple-A affiliate in 2018.

Then Ecker made the leap to the majors as an assistant hitting coach for the Cincinnati Reds. He joined Albernaz with the Giants before departing to the Rangers in 2022. He served as the bench coach during Texas’ World Series championship in 2023, which included a sweep over the Orioles in the American League Division Series.

Last week, president of baseball operations Mike Elias said he wanted Albernaz to be able to put his own stamp on his coaching staff, and the early indications are that Albernaz is able to do just that.

Baltimore is hiring Dustin Lind as its hitting coach, and Lind overlapped with Albernaz and Ecker on the Giants’ coaching staff for a season. The Orioles will name Jason Bourgeois as first base coach, and Bourgeois and Albernaz played together in 2013 for the Triple-A Durham Bulls.