Sources have told ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney that the Boston Red Sox are nearing a deal with former big leaguer Chili Davis to become the team's hitting coach. What does the market look like now for the Yankees and Mets?
Davis spent the last three seasons as the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics and will now leave Bob Melvin's staff to join John Farrell's in Boston. During his time in Oakland, Davis guided the A's to the 4th overall offense in the MLB in both 2013 and 2014 with 767 and 729 runs scored in those two seasons. They were the 14th best offense during his first year with the team in 2012. The Athletics have lost bench coach Chip Hale to the Arizona Diamondbacks and now Davis to the Boston Red Sox.
Prior to spending three seasons with the A's, Davis was the hitting coach for Boston's Triple-A Pawtucket affiliate in 2011, which was his first full season of coaching. Before that he was the part-time hitting coach for the Dodgers' instructional league team and worked with the Australian National Team from 2003-2004. As a ball player, the former switch-hitter was a three-time All-Star and batted .274 for his career to go along with 350 home runs and 1,372 RBIs.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, they'll miss out on Davis, who also interviewed with New York over the weekend. The Texas Rangers were interested in Davis too, because their hitting coach, Dave Magadan, is a top candidate for both the Yankees and Mets. This may have made the hiring process easier for the Yankees since they narrowed their search down to Davis and Magadan after firing Kevin Long back on October 10. Magadan reportedly interviewed with the Yankees for three hours last Wednesday, speaking with general manager Brian Cashman, assistant GMs Jean Afterman and Billy Eppler and manager Joe Girardi.
But Magadan also spoke with Mets' general manager Sandy Alderson the week before, which makes his status interesting because he played for the Mets from 1986 to 1992. Alderson fired hitting coach Dave Hudgens in the middle of the season and replaced him with Lamar Johnson, but Johnson will now return to his former role as the team's minor league hitting coordinator. Aside from Magadan, the Mets also expressed interest in Long, who has been contacted by a number of other teams since the Yankees fired him. But now that the Red Sox are close to locking in Davis, the whole hiring process could change for the Yankees and Mets.
It'll be interesting to see what happens if the Mets reach an agreement with Magadan because the Yankees may have to start back at start.
