D-Backs re-sign pitching coach Price

The Diamondbacks began the process of reassembling their coaching staff by signing pitching coach Bryan Price to a new one-year contract.

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Third-base coach Chip Hale already is under contract for the 2009 season, and it is expected that manager Bob Melvin’s entire staff will return.

The other 2008 coaches were bench coach Kirk Gibson, hitting coach Rick Schu, first-base coach Lee Tinsley and bullpen coach Glenn Sherlock. All were on the 2007 NL West-winning staff.

Price, who was Baseball America’s 2007 major league coach of the year, has spent five seasons with Melvin, two in Seattle and the last three with the D-Backs.

The D-Backs pitching staff led the major leagues with 95 quality starts in 2008 and had a 3.98 ERA, seventh-best in the majors.

The staff, led by Brandon Webb (22-7, 3.30 ERA) and Dan Haren (16-8, 3.34), was fourth in the majors in fewest base runners allowed via hit and walk, an average of 11.6 runners per nine innings.