Mets finalize coaching staff with Danny Barnes hire

The New York Mets keep making moves, but this time, since the lockout forbids teams to sign or trade major league players, they have been focusing on their coaching staff with the 2022 season in mind.

The Mets hired former Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Danny Barnes to be an assistant coach. That’s the exact designation of his role, and according to manager Buck Showalter, his role will be very versatile.

Barnes is 32 and a native of Manhasset, NY. Between 2016 and 2018, he pitched with the Jays, but also spent some time in the Baltimore Orioles’ minor league system in 2020. Last season, he pitched in the Atlantic League.

A former MLB pitcher to help the Mets in several roles

In the majors, he left a 4.33 ERA and a 4.42 FIP in 119 relief appearances, covering 120.2 innings between 2016 and 2018. He struck out 8.50 hitters per nine innings and walked 3.80.

“He’s played in the big leagues, knows his way around the major league locker room,” Showalter said, per SNY. “He’ll help everybody … Just an assistant major league coach. We didn’t get too titled up … He can do a little bit of everything.

“He’s got a great skill set … We were looking for somebody to fit that role and Danny fit it perfectly. He’s got a very bright future in the game. We were lucky to get him.”

The rest of the Mets coaching staff will be: Glenn Sherlock as the bench coach, Eric Chavez as the hitting coach, Jeremy Hefner as the pitching coach, Joey Cora as the the third base coach, and Wayne Kirby as the first base coach. The bullpen coach will be Craig Bjornson, and Jeremy Barnes will be the assistant hitting coach.

At this point, the start of the 2022 season is unknown, as MLB and the Players Association haven’t agreed on a new CBA deal. The Mets, however, are finalizing every possible detail before the action starts.