Tony Plate - The Mets Name Jim Riggleman Bench Coach

The New York Mets have hired Jim Riggleman to serve as their new bench coach. General manager Brodie Van Wagenen’s plan for the bench coach search was to look for someone that had prior experience managing games. Riggleman has a decent resume. He has served as a manager for 13 years with the Padres, Cubs, Mariners, Nationals and Reds with a 726-904 record. He was Cincinnati’s bench coach from 2016 until he became interim manager for five months last season. He led the Reds to a 64-80 record after taking over for Bryan Price.  

I think Riggleman is a fine choice and will be a big help to Mickey Callaway. Gary DiSarcina who was the bench coach in 2018 was reassigned to serve as third base coach. The Mets have claimed outfielder/first baseman Jordan Patterson off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. He has shown good power in the Minor Leagues during the last two seasons hitting 26 homers each year and has been versatile defensively by playing at first base and the two corner outfield positions.

The Mets are also looking to improve their roster in the following areas: catcher, bullpen and the infield. The New York Yankees have what the Mets need and are looking for while the Mets also have what the Yankees mostly need and are looking for and that is another front-line starter even though the Yankees acquired James Paxton from Seattle last week. They still need another front-line starting pitcher to get by Boston and Houston. 

So, a trade between the two New York teams would be very interesting.  I would like to see a trade of Gary Sanchez and Dellin Betances to the Mets for Noah Syndergaard, Bobby Wahl and Kevin Plawecki. In my opinion if the two sides got together and discussed this type of deal, they both would be fine with the deal especially since this trade can possibly help both teams make it to the World Series. 

The Mets recently have been shopping Syndergaard and they are not looking for prospects. They would like an impact player in return since they feel they can contend in 2019 especially since the starting rotation is very good and is the strength of the team.

In other baseball news the Mets announced that they have released Jenrry Mejia who had been granted conditional reinstatement to Major League Baseball after being banned for life back in 2016. He became the first Major League Baseball player to receive a lifetime suspension for committing a third violation of the league’s joint drug prevention and treatment program. 

The World Series Champion Boston Red Sox have signed World Series Most Valuable Player Steve Pearce to a one-year deal.