Mets Coaching Shakeup: Dan Warthen Stays, Chip Hale Goes?!

Well, it’s clear now it was all the coaching staff’s fault for the Mets third straight losing season. The Mets have shaken up their staff with two shockers — Chip Hale is leaving and Dan Warthen is staying. Oh, and Mookie Wilson is fired, again.

The Mets did try to keep  Hale, who was a finalist for the manager job last year. However he turned the Mets down to sign on with the Oakland A’s as a bench coach. This is a telling move — he leaves a team which likes him to go to one which has a new manager and a three-year contract.

Either Hale sees that the Mets really like Terry Collins and that he’s not going anywhere, or he knows that Wally Backman is the heir-apparent. Or maybe he just doesn’t like the Mets organization. Whatever the reason, this could hurt; Hale is a fiery competitor (there is short supply of those on the roster) who was apparently well-liked by the players.

The non-move on Warthen is also very interesting. Four of the five Mets starters had ERAs over 4.00. The bullpen was terrible. Bobby Parnell could not step into the closer role when needed. Now, perhaps none of this is Warthen’s fault. Maybe he is the greatest pitching coach who ever lived. But someone needed to pay for the poor pitching performance, and no one did.

As far as the rest of the coaching staff, hitting coach Dave Hudgens kept his job. Bench coach Ken Oberkfell is gone. First base coach Wilson (how many times are they going to fire the Mets icon?) and bullpen coach Jon Debus will be offered other jobs in the organization. Buffalo manager Tim Teufel will become third base coach and his pitching coach Ricky Bones will be bullpen coach.

A new bench coach has not been named — Backman perhaps?