“I Want to Marry Both”: Pedro Grifol’s Plan for FIU Baseball

MIAMI — Pedro Grifol has coached at every level that matters, and he thinks each one is missing something.

“In the minor leagues it’s more of an individual development league,” Grifol said in a recent conversation with Daron Sutton on Perfect Game. “Winning is important, but not really. And then when you get to the major leagues it’s all about making sure you get the opportunity to play in October. In college baseball, at least what I’ve seen over the years, there’s not that much player development. It’s about winning.

“I want to marry both.”

That’s the project at FIU.

Salvador Perez stopped by

Perez walked into Panthers practice this week and left the roster two words: be humble.

Grifol was his catching coach in Kansas City from 2014 to 2017, the stretch when Perez made five All-Star teams, won four Gold Gloves and twice took a Silver Slugger. Perez has called him a father figure. When Chicago introduced Grifol as manager in 2022, he got emotional at the podium talking about him.

Thirty organizations at scout day

FIU held its MLB Scout Day on Oct. 14 at FIU Baseball Stadium, with representatives from all 30 major league clubs on hand for a morning of live intersquad work.

He never played in the majors

Grifol, 56, went to Christopher Columbus High in Miami and then Florida State. Minnesota drafted him in the sixth round in 1991. He never reached the big leagues as a player, and he represented the United States at the college and 18U levels.

He spent a decade in the Royals organization — Arizona League hitting coach, special assignment, catching coach, quality control, bench coach — and was the catching coach on the 2015 World Series team.

Chicago hired him in November 2022. He went 89-190 and was fired in August 2024, with the White Sox headed for 41-121, the most losses in modern major league history.

FIU hired him May 23, 2026, as the sixth head coach in program history. We covered it then.

Six of the nine coaches are volunteers

Three people on the staff carry titles without a volunteer tag: Grifol, director of recruiting and hitting Brian Jeroloman, and director of pitching Juan Alvarez.

The rest are listed by FIU as volunteers. Chris Bec on catching development. RJ Ibañez on outfield and baserunning. Raymond Gil on infield and game planning. Luis Collazo on pitching technology. Brendan Roney on hitting and outfield development.

And Joel Piñeiro, who pitched 12 seasons in the majors for Seattle, Boston, St. Louis and the Angels, finishing 104-93. The Río Piedras native started twice for Puerto Rico at the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006, posting a 2.08 ERA and throwing to Iván Rodríguez. He was rostered again for the 2017 Classic before retiring, and pitched winter ball for Santurce, Caguas and Ponce. He runs pitching development and analytics at FIU without pay.

Roney was FIU’s catcher last spring, No. 37, scoring runs against New Mexico State in April 2025. Now he’s coaching.

Volunteer assistants aren’t new to the program — FIU was naming them under previous head coaches too. The support staff adds a volunteer strength coach, a volunteer community engagement role and seven student managers covering analytics, operations and the clubhouse.

A roster from everywhere

FIU’s 2027 roster draws transfers from Northern Colorado, Dayton, Jackson State, South Carolina, Stonehill, Arizona State, Florida, Saint Anselm, West Virginia, Miami, New Mexico State, UNLV, Arkansas State, Kennesaw State, Tennessee, UAB, Stony Brook and Stetson, plus five junior colleges.

Samuel Fischer, a senior infielder, is from Cali, Colombia. Coleson Kaluza, a junior infielder and outfielder, is from Ottawa.

Four players came from Hialeah. Nine are Miami-area products.

That roster is what the portal era looks like — assembled to win now. Grifol says he wants to develop them too.

Fall practices at FIU Baseball Stadium are open to the public and free, Fridays at 9 a.m.