Mets Make Major Coaching Changes

The Mets announced some changes to the coaching staff today in a press release. Third base coach Chip Hale will be leaving the organization, while first base coach Mookie Wilson and bullpen coach John Debus will be offered other jobs within the organization. Bench coach Ken Oberkfell will not return to the team.

While Wilson is a Met fan favorite, the fact that he is staying with the Mets could mean that his future within the organization is still somewhat solid. If he heads to the minor leagues to be a manager, it could even be considered a horizontal move instead of a demotion. The universally-liked Wilson doesn't have much that mars his reputation, and it will be interesting to see what role the team has in mind for him.

Chip Hale was considered a front-runner for the manager job last off-season, and now he's out of the organization. The press release does say that Hale "declined an offer to remain on Collins' staff to pursue another Major League coaching opportunity," and it's possible that he still wanted to be a big-league manager and saw the writing on the wall considering Terry Collins's contract status. Or maybe Hale was after more job security and a longer-term deal than the Mets were offering. Most likely, Mets fans will wish him the best wherever he lands, provided it's probably not Atlanta or Philadelphia.

Replacing Hale will be Tim Teufel, who managed the Triple-A Bisons. Ricky Bones, who was the pitching coach in Buffalo, will be the bullpen coach in New York. The coaching staff will have a Buffalo feel to it next year, but the team also announced that hitting coach Dave Hudgens and pitching coach Dan Warthen will return in the same roles.

EDIT: It looks like Chip Hale has signed a two-year deal to be the bench coach in Oakland. Either the Mets didn't want to go to two years, or Hale saw a clearer path in Oakland, it seems.