Riggleman named Met bench coach

Former Cincinnati Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman was hired as Mets bench coach, taking over for Gary DiSarcina, who was made the third-base coach during the first sweeping changes when Brodie Van Wagenen became the general manager.

“Jim brings a wealth of experience to the coaching staff,” Van Wagenen said in a press release. “His familiarity with the National League will be a great asset.”

Riggleman was 64-80 in Cincinnati last season after stepping into the role when Bryan Price, who started 2018 with a 3-15 record, was fired. It was made clear that Riggleman would not be made the permanent Reds manager, and the Mets were rumored to be considering Riggleman for this role.

As a skipper, Riggleman holds a a 726-904 record over 13 seasons with five teams, including the Nationals, Mariners, Cubs and Padres.

Riggleman gives secondyear manager Mickey Callaway — who had his share of bench blunders last year, most notably his batting out of order gaffe in May — an experienced right-hand man.

“I’m excited to have Jim’s knowledge alongside me,” Callaway said. “He’ll be a tremendous resource for me and the entire coaching staff.”

Hiring Riggleman appears to be Van Wagenen suggesting that the Mets did not surround the first-time manager Callaway with enough experienced voices in his inaugural season. Then again, Van Wagenen himself is a first-time GM with no front office experience. He was a top agent at CAA, representing players like Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, before he was hired by the Mets.

Before taking over as the interim manager in Cincinnati, Riggleman was the club’s bench coach for two seasons. As a player, Riggleman was drafted by the Dodgers and spent eight years in the minor leagues.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Mets coaching staff,” Riggleman said. “I can’t wait to get underway. I think this team has a lot of potential.”