Chavez brings chops as experienced big leaguer to Yank coaching staff
Eric Chavez may be coming into the Bronx as an assistant hitting coach, but his role is undefined, according to Aaron Boone. The six-time Gold Glove and 2002 Silver Slugger winner at third base will be the “Swiss Army knife,” of coaches, the Yankees manager said Wednesday afternoon.
Key will be imparting the experience he had in his 17 years in the big leagues among a staff that is high on statistics and theories and thin on playing backgrounds.
“He had a great career, a prominent major league career, the great defender, outstanding hitter, has worn some different hats already post (playing) career from a front office standpoint.
“So I’ve kind of envisioned this role of having this guy that can kind of grow in a role, and brings the presence to the coaching staff, brings a presence to the room, and I feel like, has a lot of things to offer,” the Yankees manager continued. “As I kind of dug in and started to have conversations with him, (as) we put him through the interview process, he, in a lot of ways, blew me away. He’s got a really good perspective on the game. He’s very open minded. ... I kind of view him as a little bit of a Swiss Army (knife), where he’s gonna have a lot of different responsibilities, he’s gonna have his hands and a lot of different things.”
Boone’s finalized coaching staff was announced by the team Tuesday night. As expected, minor league hitting coordinator Dillon Lawson replaces Marcus Thames as the hitting coach and Desi Druschel will go from being the team’s minor league manager of pitching development to an assistant pitching coach.
Casey Dykes, the Triple-A Scranton hitting coach, will join Chavez as an assistant to Lawson.
The club also confirmed the hiring of former Mets manager Luis Rojas as third base/outfield coach and announced that longtime minor league coach and infield coordinator Travis Chapman will replace Reggie Willets as the first base coach. Returning to the staff are bench coach Carlos Mendoza, pitching coach
Matt Blake, long-time bullpen coach Mike Harkey and catching coordinator and quality-control coach Tanner Swanson.
Chavez’s hiring stands out as the Bombers have moved away from coaches who have played at the major league level.
Boone, one of just three out of 10 coaches who played at least a half season in the big leagues, said that their recent hires from the ranks of the minors or private training facilities does not diminish his belief in the relevance of experience.
“We’re trying to find the best coaches and the best people to impact our guys. I think probably for a long time, we probably were a little pigeonholed with ‘it has to be a guy with big league service time’ that has this career,” Boone said. “That is absolutely a value and part of a checklist that checks a box for a lot of people. Experience matters, what they’ve done matters. But we’re also probably closing ourselves off to a lot of really great coaches because in a lot of ways that was a prerequisite.”
“Ultimately players (ask) ‘Can you help me and are you helping me?,’” Boone added. “A guy that doesn’t have a big league resume from a playing standpoint may have to earn his way a little bit more perhaps, but once you demonstrate and show that you’re helping a player, that’s all you want.
“You’ve got a short window to have a major league career and if somebody from a coaching standpoint is helping me and impacting me in the end I don’t really care how.”
GOOD LUCK BUCK
Boone reached out to Buck Showalter Tuesday to wish the former Yankees skipper good luck with his new job as the Mets manager.
“I texted him yesterday just congrats and welcome back and all that but I have not spoken to him. I’m sure at some point over the winter we’ll catch up,” Boone said. “He’s somebody that I talked to every now and then already but you know, obviously I think the Mets got a really good one in Buck. Excited to see him back.”
THE SOUND OF SILENCE
Per the rule instituted by MLB when the owners locked out the players, Boone has not been able to talk to or communicate in any way with his players. Known as a manager who works those relationships, Boone said it “sucks” not even being able to send a “Happy New Year” message or ask how they are doing.
“Especially with a lot of our players, we’ve been together now for years, that you have these strong relationships and history with now,” Boone said. “It sucks not to be able to communicate with them, even on the everyday things.”
According to one industry source, front office and management personnel have to self-report any contact with players, even an incidental bump-in at a store or restaurant.
VOLPE VERY SPECIAL
Boone is allowed to talk about players not on the 40-man roster and therefore not represented by the union. He’s had a few meetings with top prospect Anthony Volpe.
“A special guy,” Boone said.”I’m really excited about the player, but also the person that I’ve gotten to see so far.”
Boone said that there may be a chance for him and the coaching staff to work with players not on the 40-man roster this winter.