The New York Mets have reportedly hired Hensley Meulens to be their new bench coach ahead of the 2020 campaign.
The New York Mets continue to fill positions under new manager Carlos Beltrán. On Monday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the organization has hired Hensley Meulens to be their new bench coach. The position was previously held by Jim Riggleman during the Mickey Callaway regime.
#Mets have hired Hensley Meulens as Carlos Beltran’s bench coach. @Chica_Deportes and @JonHeyman were 1st
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) November 25, 2019
Meulens, 52, played for three teams in the major leagues as an outfielder and he’s a baseball lifer. He spent time with the New York Yankees from 1989-2003, the Montreal Expos in 1997, and the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998.
Meulens also spent time with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Pacific League in 1994, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball’s Central League from 1995-96, and the SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization League in 2000.
He then served as the hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants from 2010-19. The Giants didn’t retain Meulens this offseason after legendary manager Bruce Bochy’s retirement.
Meulens was one of the candidates for the Yankees’ managerial opening that eventually went to Aaron Boone.
Previous reports stated that Joey Cora and Fredi González were also candidates for the position. Early on, it was rumored that former Mets manager Terry Collins could’ve been hired as the bench coach as well. However, that move never came to fruition.
The Mets are looking to build upon a 2019 campaign that saw a late-season surge. They finished 86-76 after falling to 11 games under-.500 at one point in the summer.
