There are two general thoughts when it comes to a bench coach. You either want a guy on the rise or someone who has been a manager before. The New York Mets had John Gibbons aide Carlos Mendoza over the last two seasons. A mutual parting of ways with Gibbons opened up a spot on the coaching staff. They went with Kai Correa, a guy on the rise.
Down I-95, the Philadelphia Phillies made a change of their own. Rather than pair Rob Thomson up with a young buck ready to take his job, they’ve hired Don Mattingly.