After entering the season with one of the most talented rosters in franchise history, the New York Mets fell well short of expectations when they missed the playoffs entirely.
It’s clear that the Mets will be ushering in holistic change after the disappointment and the team has started with the coaching staff. Hitting coaches Jeremy Barnes and Eric Chavez, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, bench coach John Gibbons, third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh and catching instructor Glenn Sherlock are all parting ways with the team.
Following that purge, Mark Powell of FanSided suggested the Mets look to a recent Atlanta Braves World Series champion who could be looking for a new coaching job as a replacement option.
“One reasonable replacement for Sarbaugh is former (Los Angeles) Angels and (Texas) Rangers manager Ron Washington,” Powell wrote. “While many Braves fans are hoping Washington finds his way back to Atlanta, assuming he isn’t named a manager elsewhere, the 73-year-old could slide right into his old infield/third base coach role in Queens.”
Washington lost his manager’s role in Los Angeles this year after an illness ended his season early. But he earned the role after serving as the third base coach for the Braves for several seasons, including during the team’s World Series championship run four years ago.
“When Washington was an assistant on Brian Snitker’s staff in Atlanta, the Braves players praised his leadership and teaching style as an infield coach,” Powell added. “He was also a fan favorite, and true confidant for Snitker. Washington holds many of the Braves’ secrets, whether it be hand signals or just the order of operations. That alone makes him valuable to the Mets.”
At 73 years old, it’s unclear whether Washington is looking for another big league job. But with some new openings in Queens, perhaps he will soon lend his expertise to an old division rival.
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