Chavez added to Yanks’ staff
For those waiting for the Yankees to make some moves this offseason, you got your wish.
The Yankees announced their new-look coaching staff on Tuesday, highlighted by the addition of former Yankee Eric Chavez as an assistant hitting coach.
He’ll work with new hitting coach Dillon Lawson, who was promoted to the major league staff after serving as the organization’s minor league hitting coordinator, as well as assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes, the hitting coach at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season.
Travis Chapman will be the first-base and infield coach. Chapman was the minor league infield coordinator last season and has been with the organization for a decade.
On the pitching side, Desi Druschel was named an assistant pitching coach alongside pitching coach Matt Blake and longtime bullpen coach Mike Harkey. Druschel has been the Yankees’ manager of pitch development for the previous three seasons.
Former Mets manager Luis Rojas was named the Yankees’ new third-base coach earlier in the offseason.
They’ll join a staff that includes the returning Blake, Harkey and bench coach Carlos Mendoza, as well as quality control and catching coach Tanner Swanson.
After another disappointing October exit, the Yankees brought back manager Aaron Boone, but let go hitting coach Marcus Thames, assistant hitting coach P.J. Pilittere and third-base coach Phil Nevin. First-base coach Reggie Willits also left the staff and will be an assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma.
It’s part of an attempt to align the coaching staff with the analytics department, as several of the new coaches are especially data-driven.
GM Brian Cashman said earlier this offseason he intended to follow the industry trend and have three hitting and pitching coaches going forward
The most recognizable new name is Chavez, who spent 2011-12 with the Yankees.
Since his playing career ended following the 2014 season, Chavez served as a special assignment scout to Cashman, before spending the next five years with the Angels as a special assistant to GM Billy Eppler.