And now... the coaching staff

[Frayed Knot]

I think you (Mex) are making too much of the pitching coach background. Pitching coaches to managers are rare because pitchers themselves becoming managers haven't been that common throughout
the years. Not really sure why that's been the case but there's no logical reason why an ex-hurler is going to be at a disadvantage as compared to former position players or bench riders. Nor is there any
reason to treat an ex-pitcher/coach as someone who will remain forever locked into that aspect of the job.

Mex17 wrote: ... This particular manager was hired clearly to, among other things, set the policy and the philosophy with regard to how the pitching is going to be handled. If he isn't going to be permitted to do that, than there were other candidates out there. But they selected this candidate.

Managers aren't hired to set policy or philosophy so much as carry out the organization's policy and philosophy so the idea would be that the new pitching coach (and the hitting coach and the bullpen
coach, etc.) are going to be hires who are on board with it too. Ted Williams as a manager wasn't going to hire someone from the Charlie Lau / Walt Hriniak school as his hitting coach because he vehemently
disagreed with that hitting approach (nor was old Ted shy about saying so) and if his bosses were fans of the Lau/Hriniak philosophy and were going to force one on him then they were wrong to hire Ted in
the first place.

Edited October 25, 2017 by Guest

[Valadius]

I still want Joe McEwing on this staff. Bring him on as bench coach. It's what he's doing for the White Sox now anyway.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Mike Puma reviews some of the Mets pitching coach options:

http://nypost.com/2017/10/25/world-series-winning-pitching-coach-on-the-mets-radar/

[Frayed Knot]

btw, while I'm sure you could make an argument that there's less of a need for an experienced pitching coach on account of the manager being a former one -- and I'm more interested in the bench
coach specifically being an old hand -- if at the moment you happen to be in the market for a PC there just happen to be longtime and well respected types like Righetti & Maddux available, you'd be
nuts not to at least talk to them.

[Valadius]

Do any of these pitching coaches have experience in getting repeatedly-injured players back to some semblance of respectability?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Are the Mets considering a return of Tim Teufel?

The Mets’ problematic infield defense has team officials considering a reunion with a displaced member of the coaching staff. According to industry sources, Tim Teufel, who was reassigned within the organization after the 2016 season, is under consideration for a role on new manager Mickey Callaway’s coaching staff. It’s unclear if Teufel would be a candidate for the vacant bench coach position or used as a base coach.

Full article: Mets could turn to familiar coach to solve infield issues

[Frayed Knot]

Mike Maddux hooks on as pitching coach with St Louis

[Mex17]

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2017/10/jason_bere_passed_over_as_clev.html

[Benjamin Grimm]

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2017/10/jason_bere_passed_over_as_clev.html

Jason Bere, passed over as Cleveland Indians' pitching coach, could interview with Mets

Cleveland.com wrote: CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Indians did not consider Jason Bere as a replacement for pitching coach Mickey Callaway, which may have led to his surprising departure from the team's coaching staff. Bere, 46, just finished his third year as the team's bullpen coach. Previously, he spent nine years as a special assistant to the Indians' baseball operations department scouting, evaluating and instructing the organization's pitchers. Bere reportedly was not considered for the pitching coach job. He was told the Indians were "moving in a different direction." Bere reportedly has been in contact with Callaway and could interview to be the Mets pitching coach.

[Frayed Knot]

The tabloid headline RASPBERRY BERE is just tailor made for his first screw up.

[Mex17]

Cleveland.com wrote: CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Indians did not consider Jason Bere as a replacement for pitching coach Mickey Callaway, which may have led to his surprising departure from the team's coaching staff. Bere, 46, just finished his third year as the team's bullpen coach. Previously, he spent nine years as a special assistant to the Indians' baseball operations department scouting, evaluating and instructing the organization's pitchers. Bere reportedly was not considered for the pitching coach job. He was told the Indians were "moving in a different direction." Bere reportedly has been in contact with Callaway and could interview to be the Mets pitching coach.

You have to figure that, if he left a job that he still had (bullpen coach for Cleveland), that there had to have been some sort of assurance that there would be a place for him in the Mets organization, don't you think? I'm not saying that Callaway could have guaranteed the pitching coach job for him, but maybe he said to Bere that he could get him an interview and that bullpen coach or minor league pitching coordinator would be on the table if they went in another direction for pitching coach. At the very least, my guess is that Callaway is vouching for Bere and Bere is going to interview for something.

[Frayed Knot]

Mex17 wrote: You have to figure that, if he left a job that he still had (bullpen coach for Cleveland), that there had to have been some sort of assurance that there would be a place for him in the Mets organization, don't you think?

Not really. First of all it's not clear from that linked article that the job was still his and that he simply chose to walk away from it.
He was likely on a one year deal (I suspect most 'lesser' coaches are) so when it says "they parted ways" that's more likely to be the club's decision than his.

I'm not saying that Callaway could have guaranteed the pitching coach job for him, but maybe he said to Bere that he could get him an interview and that bullpen coach or minor league pitching coordinator would be on the table if they went in another direction for pitching coach. At the very least, my guess is that Callaway is vouching for Bere and Bere is going to interview for something.

If Callaway recommended Bere then, sure, it'll probably help him land an interview with the Mets (although that the Mets will talk to him is merely speculation in the article).
But he didn't have to preemptively leave Cleveland based on just that since they'd likely let him leave anyway for the promotion of the PC job and I doubt he'd dump one bullpen job merely for the possibility of a different one.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, MLB coaching jobs are scarce enough. If you have one, you bite down. And if you're going to leave it, leave it for a bird in hand, not one in the bush.

Kevin Long didn't get the big league manager job, and it's not clear if he's going to retain his batting instructor job with the Mets. But even as he interviews for other jobs, he's not explicitly turning in his papers on the Mets.

Be like Kevin Long, not Shelly Long.

[Edgy MD]

Wally Backman, reportedly, has tried to cross back over a bridge he already burned.

[Benjamin Grimm]

From The Daily News: Mets assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler finalizing two-year deal with team: sources

From Newsday: Kevin Long unlikely to return as Mets’ hitting coach, source says

[Valadius]

How many other teams have assistant hitting coaches? Wouldn't a new hitting coach want to be able to decide who their assistant is?

[Benjamin Grimm]

You would think so. I'm wondering if perhaps Roessler is being considered for a promotion from assistant hitting instructor to hitting instructor.

[Mex17]

I doubt that there will be an "assistant hitting coach" going forward.

I'm not saying that it is going to be this, but based upon what reports are out there this is an educated speculation of what the staff could look like. . .

Bench - Acta
Pitching - Jason Bere
Hitting - Roessler
1st Base/infielders - Teufel
3rd Base/catchers - Sherlock
Bullpen - Bones

Do you think that there is a need to add one more guy to coach the outfielders? Is coaching the outfielders even enough work to justify another position on the staff?

Edited November 1, 2017 by Guest

[Mex17]

New info. . .

"Mets will name Pat Roessler as the new hitting coach and Ricky Bones will remain as bullpen coach, according to industry sources."

Just guessing, but I would not be surprised if keeping Bones is a quid pro quo in exchange for letting Callaway have his man in the form of Bere.

Edited November 1, 2017 by Guest

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think they'll be able to afford a seventh coach if David Wright retires.

[Frayed Knot]

I think they'll be able to afford a seventh coach if David Wright retires.

And the insurance company keeps paying off anyway.

Actually, teams are capped at six in-dugout coaches.
So here's my advice as to how to coach the outfielders: 'Yo dudes, if the ball comes to you catch it!! ... and then throw it back.'

[Mex17]

Frayed Knot wrote: Actually, teams are capped at six in-dugout coaches.

So bullpen coach would not count in that scenario I am supposing, which is why they were able to have the "assistant hitting coach" the past few years in addition to bench/PC/HC/1b/3b in the dugout and then BP outside of the dugout. Maybe they do get an OF coach then. Strategy from game to game/series to series with regard to how to be positioned for each hitter or scenario is going to be a thing along with coaching and correcting flaws/bad habits with regard to mechanics as the season goes on.

[Frayed Knot]

'In uniform" coaches might be the better description so I think the bullpen coach does count against the six.
A team can have as many coaches as they want so if they want to employ separate Right Field, Center Field, and Left Field coaches then go for it, they just can't all be in the dugout during the game.
But frankly, once we're into discussions of outfield coaches and assistant batting coaches I've already lost interest anyway.

[Mex17]

Frayed Knot wrote: 'In uniform" coaches might be the better description so I think the bullpen coach does count against the six.

They have had seven in uniform the past few years. . .

Scott
Warthen
Long
Roessler (as the "assistant". . .perhaps that was the loophole)
Goodwin
Teufel/Sherlock
Bones

[Centerfield]

Look, not that this is any sort of big deal, but if the idea was to start clean, promoting the guy who was assistant to the guy we just had is not a very inspiring choice.

[Mex17]

Centerfield wrote: Look, not that this is any sort of big deal, but if the idea was to start clean, promoting the guy who was assistant to the guy we just had is not a very inspiring choice.

But that wasn't the idea. Left to their own devices, the preference was to keep Long. They liked the job he did.

[MFS62]

Looks like Dave Eiland is the new pitching coach.
https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/mets-dave-eiland-pat-roessler-1.14714629
Later

[Ceetar]

MFS62 wrote: Looks like Dave Eiland is the new pitching coach. https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/mets-dave-eiland-pat-roessler-1.14714629 Later

An interesting one. Another Yankee cast off, and perhaps another "your loss is our gain" one. It certainly seemed like he was fired from the Yankees for an undisclosed personal leave issue.

[Frayed Knot]

I remember when he came up with the Yanx not long after Cone did with the Mets and the papers making [u:xs65pwed]Coney Eiland[/u:xs65pwed] jokes.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Rosenthal reporting the Mets are to hire Ruin Tommorow Jr. Aka, Ruben Amaro Jr., as new 1b/of coach