Mets fire pitching coach Dave Eiland, bullpen coach Chuck Hernandez

Despite the past speculation that the Mets would fire manager Mickey Callaway in response to the team’s struggles, it turns out that the front office turned to a different scapegoat, as pitching coach Dave Eiland and bullpen coach Chuck Hernandez have both been relieved of their duties. The team has not yet announced who the replacements for the two would be, though general manager Brodie Van Wagenen is set to address the media about the shake-up later today at Wrigley Field.

Eiland, who previously served as the pitching coach for the Yankees and Royals, joined the Mets along with Callaway prior to the 2018 season. Hernandez, meanwhile, only joined the team this past winter, making it a particularly quick turnaround for the bullpen coach position. The team will now have to find replacements for both men, and those replacements will be responsible for trying to turn things around for a pitching staff that has been particularly disappointing thus far this season.

The Mets’ 4.67 team ERA ranks 13th in the National League, so these two oustings will certainly satisfy certain fans’ desire for blood in response to the poor performances they’ve been subjected to in 2019. The extent to which Eiland and Hernandez are responsible for these poor performances—as opposed to the front office’s inability to secure adequate pitching depth during the offseason—is subject to interpretation, but they nevertheless are the ones who wound up paying the price for them.