After parting ways with now ex-manager Luis Rojas in October, the Mets retained only one member of last season's staff in pitching coach Jeremy Hefner.
And once they hired Rojas' successor on Dec. 18, veteran manager Buck Showalter, the search began to fill out the remainder of his staff.
Now, with Showalter and general manager Billy Eppler leading the charge, the Mets are hoping to finalize their coaching staff by this weekend, per Deesha Thosar of The New York Daily News.
As Thosar went onto reveal, the team is focused on a "flashy, headline-grabbing" hire for bench coach, and Mets brass is currently working on a tricky negotiation with this unnamed candidate. Ex-Mets manager and former All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran is not being considered for this vacancy, per Thosar.
Beyond the bench coach position, the Mets are also in the process of filling a number of additional vacancies and are close to finalizing a deal with Joey Cora, who would become their third base coach, as Mike Puma of The New York Post reported on Jan. 4.
Cora, 56, is the older brother of Red Sox manager Alex Cora. The eldest Cora has spent the last five seasons as the Pittsburgh Pirates third base coach. He also interviewed for the Mets' bench coach vacancy in 2020, and their managerial opening in 2018.
Cora retired as a player in 1998 after 12 seasons in the big-leagues, and managed in the Mets' minor league system for three seasons afterwards. He also served as Ozzie Guillen's third base coach with the White Sox from 2003-2005, before being promoted to bench coach, a role he held until September 2011. During this span in Chicago, the White Sox captured a World Series title in '05. Cora spent one season as Guillen's bench coach with the Miami Marlins in 2012 as well.
In addition to Cora, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic revealed earlier today that Wayne Kirby is expected to reunite with Showalter in Queens as the Mets' first base coach. Kirby was Showalter's first base/outfield coach in Baltimore from 2011-2018. He spent the last two seasons coaching first base for the San Diego Padres, but was let go after skipper Jayce Tingler was fired earlier in the offseason. After the Los Angeles Angels failed to come to an agreement to add Kirby to their staff in November, the expectation is that he will now replace Tony Tarasco as the Mets' first base coach (and possibly outfield coach, but no confirmation there as of yet). Kirby also played for the Mets back in 1998.
With Hefner in place, and Cora and Kirby expected to join Showalter's staff, the Mets must still hire a bench coach, hitting coach, bullpen and assistant hitting and pitching coaches. They also need to name infield and outfield coaches as well.
After the hiring of Showalter was announced last month, the new skipper indicated that he and the front office had already exchanged potential names to join the Mets' coaching staff. Showalter also eluded to the type of candidates that he is targeting to work alongside him in Queens.
“I’m trying to fit the coaching staff to the situation we’re in,” Showalter said in an interview with WCBS 880 back in December. “I don’t bring in buddies. I bring in people that can deliver what needs to be done for the players.”
“I’d like to have it done yesterday, but we’re going to take our time,” Showalter added. “There’s so many good, qualified people out there. It will be a collaboration with Billy and Sandy. ... Now I know what jobs we need to look for and we try to fit the person with it. We’re moving as fast as we can, but we don’t want to make a mistake. These are very precious and important jobs.”
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