When Darren Fenster first joined the Boston Red Sox organization in 2012, he was the hitting coach in Class A Greenville. Among his pupils was catcher Blake Swihart.

From 2014 to 2017, Fenster managed Greenville, where prospects such as Sam Travis, Rafael Devers, Yoan Moncada, Andrew Benintendi and Michael Chavis suited up.

“So many good players came through,” said Fenster, who watched his share of players be promoted.

Now Fenster is the one being promoted. The Red Sox named him the new Portland Sea Dogs manager, among a series of staff announcements on Tuesday.

Fenster, 39, replaces Carlos Febles, who was promoted last month to be Boston’s third base coach.

Fenster is a native of Edison, New Jersey, and played his college ball at Rutgers. A 12th-round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals in 2000, Fenster played five years as an infielder in the minor leagues, reaching the Double-A level.

Febles was also in the Royals system at the time.

“We rehabbed knee (injuries) together,” Fenster said.

After his playing days, Fenster coached at his alma mater. When he wanted to return to the pros, he had connections with the Red Sox; not only Febles but former Royals general manager Allard Baird, who is now in the Red Sox front office.

Febles managed Greenville when Fenster joined the Sox farm system in 2012. The next year, Fenster managed the rookie Gulf Coast League team, before coming back to Greenville as manager. His 2017 team finished 79-60 and won the South Atlantic League championship.

When he comes to Portland, Fenster will have likely managed most of the 2018 Sea Dogs at some point in their career.

“It will be great reconnecting with the guys,” he said, “seeing them at a different stage in their career.”

The Sea Dogs also will have a new pitching coach, with Paul Abbott moving up after three seasons with advanced Class A Salem.

Abbott, 50, has coached with the Red Sox since 2011. He was Fenster’s pitching coach in Greenville in 2014 before moving on to Salem. Abbott pitched in the major leagues for 11 seasons with six teams.

Abbott replaces Kevin Walker, who was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket after three seasons in Portland.

Hitting coach Lee May Jr. will return for his second season with the Sea Dogs.

In Pawtucket, Walker is the only new coach. Manager Kevin Boles and hitting coach Rich Gedman return. Walker replaces Bob Kipper, who will coach in Greenville, close to his home.

Replacing Fenster in Greenville is former Sea Dogs player Iggy Suarez, who has managed short-season Lowell the past two seasons.

Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-7411 or:

kthomas@pressherald.com

Twitter: @ClearTheBases