The Los Angeles Dodgers’ coaching staff under manager Dave Roberts is going to look a little different next season with hitting coach Aaron Bates not returning due to an impasse in contract negotiations.
The decision came as a surprise given president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman previously said he did not anticipate any changes to the staff. Even with the move, Robert Van Scoyoc is expected to return as Dodgers hitting coach next season.
As for whether the team could look to replace Bates with a new hitting coach, that is a possibility currently being considered, per Sonja Chen of MLB.