Dan Warthen reportedly won’t return as Mets pitching coach

The Mets don’t plan to bring back pitching coach Dan Warthen according to the New York Post. Warthen has been with the team since 2008, the longest tenure of anyone on the Mets’ coaching staff. He built a reputation as a good teacher and even gained notoriety for a signature pitch. But the team appears primed to make a change as the staff languishes with a 5.01 ERA, the third-worst in all of baseball.

You can’t tell from their record, but the Mets were thought of as a contender when the season began in April. It hasn’t happened due in large part to the disappointing pitching staff.

There’s no definitive word on any potential replacements, but internal candidates, according to the Post, could include Mets bullpen coach Ricky Bones and minor league pitching coordinator Ron Romanick. Potential outside hires could be Brian Bannister, who began his pitching career as a Met and now has a role with the Red Sox, and Curt Young, who used to have the role with the Athletics. The search won’t be simple, and the Mets’ quest to find a new manager could make it even more complicated.