On Friday, the hammer fell for nearly the entire New York Mets coaching staff following their September collapse. Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes, bench coach John Gibbons, third base and infield coach Mike Sarbaugh, and catching instructor Glenn Sherlock have all been fired or are leaving the organization.
Manager Carlos Mendoza is staying, but now he must rebuild his entire coaching staff for next season. During the process, the skipper should take a hard look at bringing in veterans with ties to the Mets or the city. With that in mind, let’s look at six New York baseball greats they must consider hiring this offseason.
Edgardo Alfonzo
Edgardo Alfonzo was one of the best defensive players in Mets history. Be it either at third or second, the Venezuelan knew how to pick it. However, he was also one of the better hitters on the roster during his eight years in Queens, and excelled in the postseason. Hitting .299 in 28 postseason games. He has some minor league coaching experience in the organization and should be considered for Mendoza’s new staff.
Willie Randolph
Mendoza needs a new No. 2 on his bench after Gibbons was let go. A name that has gotten a lot of buzz in NY baseball circles recently is former Mets manager Willie Randolph. And that was before the team cleaned out their coaching staff. Randolph never got a second chance as a manager in the big league, but another opportunity to help the Mets get back to the World Series after a disastrous finish to 2025 seems fitting.
David Wright
What Mets fan doesn’t love David Wright? He is, arguably, the most beloved player in franchise history despite never bringing a championship back to Queens. Does he have coaching experience? No. But the perception of Wright getting his feet wet as a coach on the Mets staff, and trying to help them achieve the ultimate goal, just feels — pun intended — Wright. It’s unclear if he would want a role — likely as a first or third base coach– but they should check in on his interest.
Carlos Beltran
In November of 2019, nine-time All-Star Carlos Beltran was hired to be the new New York Mets manager. However, after it was revealed during his time on the Houston Astros‘ staff, they used an elaborate cheating program. So he was forced to step down months after getting the job.
A couple of years ago, he found his way back to the organization by joining the front office. So he has a deep knowledge of the organization. Furthermore, he is one of the best players of his generation, and his understanding of the game is respected around the league. At the very least, he should be considered as an option to be their new hitting coach in 2026.
Manny Ramirez
Does Manny Ramirez have ties to the Mets? No. But the kid from Washington Heights wants to be a hitting coach in MLB, and getting his first big league coaching job in New York is intriguing. Plus, for a roster that might lose Pete Alonso, the locker room can use more fun personalities that can help bring players together. One has to wonder if Ramirez could help fellow Dominican Juan Soto loosen up and show even more of his fun-loving side in 2026.
Ron Darling
Mets fans and many around the country are well aware of Ron Darling’s deep knowledge about pitching, as he has taken them to the learning tree during broadcasts for SNY and TBS. New York fans are always enamored with the idea of any member of the ’86 team coming back to the organization. But with Jeremy Hefner out, Darling fits a need. While he doesn’t have previous coaching experience, he knows what it takes to be not just a good pitcher, but a good pitcher under the bright lights of Gotham.
