Josh Bonifay announced as Phillies’ new farm-system director

The Phillies made it official Thursday by naming Josh Bonifay as their director of player development, tapping into one of baseball's more progressive franchises for a leader of their minor-league system.

Bonifay, 40, spent seven of the last eight seasons as an instructor in the Houston Astros farm system. He was a minor-league manager, hitting coach, and field coordinator with the forward-thinking Astros. He spent the 2017 season as the major-league field coordinator for the Texas Rangers.

"Over the past several weeks, we interviewed an impressive group of candidates for this position," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said.  "Josh really stood out with his combination of leadership, experience, and passion for developing players.  We believe he is the ideal person to lead our player-development efforts, and we are thrilled to welcome him to Philadelphia."

Bonifay is the son of Cam Bonifay, who was the Pirates general manager from 1993 to 2001 and is a special assistant to the general manager in Cincinnati. Bonifay played eight seasons in the minors with the Pirates and Astros. His professional career began in Williamsport, which is now one of the Phillies' seven domestic affiliates Bonifay will oversee.

"My family and I are extremely excited about joining an organization with a rich history of producing homegrown major league players, and I hope to continue the great tradition," Bonifay said. "The Phillies are a tremendous organization with phenomenal people, and I am thrilled to be a part of the family."