Picota, the 57-year-old native of Panama, brings with him a rich legacy within baseball, both as a player and manager. His baseball journey began in 1984 as a 17-year-old pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He also had stints with the Montreal Expos and the Seattle Mariners organizations for a total of 10 seasons in affiliate baseball in the US & Canada. From there, Picota continued to play professionally around the globe in China, Mexico, South Korea, and the Dominican Republic. He also represented his country at the World Baseball Classic
After hanging up his cleats, Picota seamlessly transitioned to coaching, where his innate understanding of the game shone brightly. Picota was a coach for the Panama national team for in the World Baseball Classic in 2009, 2017, 2022, 2023. He also guided the Tigres de Chinandega to 2017 Latin American Series and 2018 Latin American Series titles. Picota has cemented his reputation as a manager capable of fostering strong, winning teams.