Mets reportedly hiring Eric Chavez away from the Yankees, Wayne Kirby also in the fold
Eric Chavez was hired by the Yankees as an assistant hitting coach in December
The latest on the Mets coaching staff… 💭
The Mets are hiring Eric Chavez away from the Yankees to be their new hitting coach (MLB.com)
Wayne Kirby is expected to join Buck Showalter’s staff as the Mets first base coach (Athletic)
The Mets are working on an, “exciting, headline-grabbing hire” for Showalter’s bench coach (Daily News)
Edgardo Alfonzo has interest in returning as a coach inside the Mets organization, but the Mets have yet to reciprocate interest (New York Post)
The Mets have promoted Reid Brignac to be manager of Double-A Binghamton, while Kevin Boles will be the new manager at Triple-A Syracuse (Newsday)
Ed Blankmeyer - who has managed Single-A Brooklyn for the last two seasons - is leaving to join the Cubs as a field coordinator (New York Post)
Former Pirates third base coach Joey Cora is reportedly coming on-board to be the Mets third base coach. More on Cora in Wednesday’s newsletter here.
Eric Chavez
Chavez, 44, spent the bulk of his 17-year playing career with the A’s, slashing a .268/.342/.475 lifetime mark with the A’s, Yankees and Diamondbacks from 1998-2014. His best seasons came between 2001-2006 while with Oakland when he hit .273/.351/.495 while averaging 29 home runs and 96 RBI during that span and winning six consecutive gold gloves.
After retiring, Chavez briefly served as a part-time analyst for A’s telecasts in 2015 before joining the Yankees as a special assistant to Brian Cashman. The following year, Billy Eppler - then general manager of the Angels - hired Chavez as a special assistant, and became manager of the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees late in the 2018 season.
After the 2021 season, the Yankees hired Chavez as an assistant hitting coach, although manager Aaron Boone viewed Chavez as a, “jack-of-all-trades” for the coaching staff.
Wayne Kirby
Kirby, 57, spent eight years with the Indians, Dodgers and Mets between 1991-1998, hitting .252/.309/.345 over 516 games during that span.
He became Buck Showalter’s first base coach in 2011, a position he held through the 2018 season. After a one year hiatus, Kirby joined the Padres staff as their first base coach for the 2020 season.