Sean Casey has announced on his “Mayor’s Office” podcast that he will not return to the Yankees as their hitting coach. Casey cited “family reasons” for his decision, and Joel Sherman of the Post was first with the news.
“It was a tough decision for me,” Casey said early in the show. “There was no offer made, but I do think I could have come back had I wanted to. That time right now is not perfect for me. We’ll see what happens in the next few years here.”
Casey specifically cited wanting to be closer to his two teenage daughters and made a point to praise the Yankees organization. He called Brian Cashman “incredible” and that “the whole organization is great,” including the laconic Hal Steinbrenner. Furthermore, he called the experience “all pros, no cons.”
Granted, Sean Casey is a genuinely nice guy and the Yankees players sung his praises, namely captain Aaron Judge. DJ LeMahieu also turned his season around under Casey, batting .273 with an .809 OPS after the All-Star Break compared to .220 beforehand. New York didn’t make the playoffs, but Sean Casey the hitting coach was absolutely a net positive for the clubhouse.
Except now, the Yankees are tasked with finding their fourth hitting coach in six years under manager Aaron Boone. Marcus Thames was aided and propped up by juiced baseballs before it all came crashing down in 2021. Dillon Lawson struggled to connect with the roster.
So who’s next for the job that has become, essentially, baseball’s equivalent of coaching the New York Jets? Will the Yankees promote assistant Brad Wilkerson? Maybe Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens comes back.
Either way, the Yankees need to nail this hire and the offense needs to show out in 2024. Otherwise, #YankeesTwitter’s shouts will reach deafening levels.
