The New York Mets have been, slowly but surely, putting together their coaching staff for the 2022 season. Manager Buck Showalter, announced last month as the person in charge of leading the Mets to the promised land, is the most prominent piece of the dugout puzzle.
The person who will sit next to him in the dugout? The name isn’t known yet, but according to Andy Martino of SNY, the search is all but done. The writer stated the Mets have “honed in” on a bench coach.
Martino clarifies that the name hasn’t been announced or even leaked, as the Mets will probably wait to complete their entire staff. At the moment, only the assistant pitching/bullpen coach and an assistant hitting coach need to be appointed.
The bench coach, however, seems “set”, per Martino. The reporter said that the Mets were denied permission to interview some candidates in the process.
The Mets’ coaching staff is close to being finalized
The most recent member of the coaching staff to join the team is hitting coach Eric Chavez, who was initially announced as the assistant hitting coach for the New York Yankees, but crossed town when the Mets offered him a higher position.
After a recommendation from Terry Collins to Showalter, Joey Cora is expected to announced Joey Cora as the third base coach. Wayne Kirby is expected to be the first base coach.
The only name returning from the 2021 season will be Jeremy Hefner, who will again serve as the pitching coach of the Mets. He had some success during the last campaign, most notably with Marcus Stroman, Taijuan Walker, Tylor Megill, and others.
Manager Luis Rojas, who led the Mets for the last two seasons, didn’t return as the team opted not to renew his contract. He is now the third base coach of the Yankees.