Barons New Manager Guillermo Quiroz 

Guillermo Quiroz, who brings 19 years of playing experience in major league baseball, has been named Manager of the Birmingham Barons for the 2025 season. Quiroz has been with the Winston-Salem Dash (A+) for the last two seasons.

The Barons are coming off a Southern League Championship, and Quiroz wants to keep winning in Birmingham. “Sergio (Santos) did a nice job with the guys we had in Birmingham last year,” said Quiroz. “Some of those guys started the year with me in Winston-Salem, so I know what they can do. I'm looking forward to being in Birmingham. A new challenge for me being in a new city. I have never been to Birmingham, but I am looking forward to it.”

The Barons' new manager spent two years with the Dash. Under Quiroz, the Dash had 120 wins and 138 losses in two seasons in the South Atlantic League.

Quiroz started his professional baseball career when he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1998. In 2004, he was called up to the Blue Jays and started his major league career. After his time with the Blue Jays ended in 2005, the Venezuelan catcher went on to play between the major and minor league levels for the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, and the Cleveland Guardians. After he retired from playing baseball, Quiroz became a coach for the Winston-Salem Dash in 2018 and later to the Charlotte Knights in 2019.

His first manager job came when the White Sox named him manager of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, where his 2020 managerial debut was put on hold until 2021 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. In 2023, Quiroz won his 100^th game with Winston-Salem. “Being a manager is the closest thing to catching,” added Quiroz. “I knew that I was going to be involved in baseball somehow. I wanted to pass on my experiences and knowledge as a player.”

The Barons start the season on Friday, April 4, 2025, and are looking forward to the 2025 season. “We want to teach them the game of baseball the right way. We will make sure the clubhouse is where it needs to be mentally and physically. We want to make sure the chemistry works. We want our players to know they are playing for a reason and a goal. We want them to feel like family. We spend so much time together, so we want to bond like a family,” said Quiroz.

Last year, the Barons had a set roster for most of the first half but were turned over as players moved up to AAA and even the major league with the White Sox. “That is my job to ensure everybody is on the same page,” said Quiroz. “I need to be honest with them, and they need to know their role. They need to understand the position that the organization has put them in, and we go from there. I try to keep them engaged in the game every day. Extra work, playing every day, and keeping them sharp mentally.”