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DUNEDIN, Fla. — In his role as a minor league manager at multiple levels in the Blue Jays system, John Schneider always relished the opportunity of telling a young kid about a promotion.

So what was it like when first-year manager Charlie Montoyo called to tell Schneider that he wanted him on his big-league staff? Given that he was at the hospital with his wife for the birth of their second child, it was quite a week for the couple.

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Schneider was a natural addition for Montoyo, given the success he had in the minors, including an Eastern League title with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2018. The fact that he has been the chief groomer of future Jays such as Vlad Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio over the past couple of seasons was also working in his favour.

“It was always one of my goals to hopefully be in the big leagues when I was 40 and that’s one of the reasons I started (coaching) when I did,” said Schneider, who will turn 39 when workouts for the 2019 Jays begin officially on Thursday. “Plus I was not good enough to keep playing.