Corey Dickerson Joins Rays Coaching Staff, Begins New Chapter in Tampa Bay
Corey Dickerson is back in the big leagues - this time, with a coach’s view from the dugout. The Tampa Bay Rays have hired the former All-Star outfielder as their new first base coach, bringing a familiar face back to the organization and adding another layer of experience to Kevin Cash’s staff.
For Dickerson, this marks his first official foray into professional coaching. After stepping away from playing in 2023, he stayed close to the game by coaching high school baseball near his home in Mississippi. Now, he’s making the leap to the majors - not with a bat in his hands, but with a stopwatch, a fungo, and years of experience to pass on.
A Full-Circle Moment in Tampa
This reunion with the Rays carries a bit of symmetry. Dickerson played under Kevin Cash during his stint in Tampa Bay, most notably in 2017 when he slugged 27 homers and earned a trip to the All-Star Game. That season marked the high point of his time in Tampa, and now he returns in a new role, helping guide a team that’s once again undergoing transition.
Dickerson’s playing days were defined by adaptability and quiet productivity - traits that should serve him well as a coach. After his strong run with the Rockies and Rays, he was dealt to Pittsburgh in early 2018, just weeks after the Pirates traded away longtime franchise cornerstone Andrew McCutchen. That move put Dickerson in an unenviable position: stepping into the spotlight as the de facto replacement for a beloved icon.
Delivering in Pittsburgh
To his credit, Dickerson handled that pressure with poise. In his first season with the Pirates, he hit .300 with a .330 on-base percentage and a .474 slugging mark across 135 games.
But it wasn’t just the bat that made an impact. After splitting time between left field and DH in Tampa, he surprised many by becoming a defensive standout in Pittsburgh.
He saved 16 runs in the outfield that year - a number that helped him take home the NL Gold Glove in left field.
That 2018 Pirates team, bolstered by Dickerson’s steady presence, managed to finish above .500. But when the wheels came off in 2019, Dickerson was one of several veterans moved at the trade deadline. Over the next few seasons, he became a journeyman, suiting up for five different clubs before hanging up his cleats after the 2023 campaign.
From Player to Coach, Dickerson’s Baseball Journey Continues
Now, Dickerson returns to the big leagues in a new uniform and with a new mission. He joins a Rays team that, like the Pirates back in 2018, is entering a period of transition. Tampa Bay recently parted ways with its longest-tenured star, and while the circumstances aren’t identical, there’s a familiar sense of change in the air - the kind of environment where Dickerson has thrived before.
It wasn’t all that long ago that he was tracking fly balls at Tropicana Field. Now, he’ll be standing on the first base line, helping young players navigate the same grind he once did.
For Tampa Bay, it’s a low-key but meaningful hire. For Dickerson, it’s a return to the game he knows so well - and a chance to shape the next generation of Rays baseball.