The Mets will have a new bench coach in 2021, as the club informed Hensley Meulens that he will not return to their staff, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
It was a short stint with the Mets for Meulens, a longtime San Francisco assistant who spent just one year with his new club. Before his hiring as a bench coach last offseason, the Mets and the Red Sox interviewed Meulens for their managerial positions. The Mets ultimately chose Carlos Beltran before quickly replacing him with Luis Rojas, though, while the Red Sox went with Ron Roenicke.
While Meulens’ time on Rojas’ staff didn’t work out, it shouldn’t be too long before the 53-year-old finds another job. Meulens, after all, is a well-respected, three-time World Series-winning assistant who speaks five languages. It’s unclear whom the Mets will tap to replace him.
prov356
He can always find work as a translator if baseball doesn’t work out.
cencal
Definite backup candidate to C3PO for any translation gig!!
Silent Bob23
This is where the Mets need to find a proven manager to take over the bench coach position since I, along with many others who rout for the orange and blue don’t have too much faith in Rojas. I will say this, at least Brodie and Cano won’t be there to force him to make more bad decisions. How I wish they hired Joe Giradi or Dusty Baker last season!
Larry David's Joe Pepitone Jersey
I don’t know how anybody can have a firm view on Rojas after 60 games with a terrible roster.
MetsFan22
Or terrible just injured pitching unfortunately
joeyrocafella
Terrible roster? Lol
johnnydubz
So Terry Collins?
EasternLeagueVeteran
Hoping not.
heisenberg58
Great choice. Sandy knows him well and trusts him.
txman22
Give Beltran another chance?
DTI812
Hope not
marcfrombrooklyn
Based on what I have read, in articles and their comments, most Mets fans have faith in Luis Rojas. Perhaps some cranks calling on the FAN have problems, but they aren’t representative.
MetsKnicks49ers
First off, managers mean so little. Essentially, we have to hope they don’t hurt the team too much.
And dusty baker is about the worst thing possible. Girardi I’m good with, but Dusty? He’d have Rosie and Cano leading off the game because speed and 2B has to hit second in his old timey view.
Rsox
Not true. Jeff Kent hit cleanup most of his time in San Francisco. And most lineups have speed at the top of the order, it would make no sense to have your best base stealer hitting 5th
Cosmo2
Actually I think most teams prioritize OBP at the top, not speed. Not anymore.
California Halo's
HOGWASH! You don’t know Jack about Dusty Baker.
DTI812
Yeah, not convinced on Rojas, we will see. Did not want Dusty Baker though – not since the Dusty for Dave Kingman rumors all those years ago. He cannot win the big one. I was thrilled when Nats hired him, one less opponent to worry about in the division.
Johnny R.
You say managers mean so little yet you say Dusty would be the worst thing possible. Yet you like Girardi, why? Because he brings certain aspects as a manager that you think are valuable to your team winning. It all depends, is your team a WS challenger or in a rebuild. No manager is hired with the premise of, “I hope they don’t hurt us too much”
DarkSide830
wow didnt see this coming
Mrtwotone
Dang, the Mets have quite a few positions to fill!
Brac2brac
Another reminder of the dumpster fire that was masquerading as a MLB Franchise. He looks to have some talent, but the muttsies can’t get the some of the pieces to gel into a cohesive organization.
Super Steve paid top dollar for the equivalent of a real estate teardown. He got a good location and a few outbuildings rather than a working complex.
Good news is that a few decent FA signings might still translate to on the field success in 2021.
MetsKnicks49ers
All this over a bench coach? Lol
EasternLeagueVeteran
Boy, you are a bit too hard on the franchise. Sounds more like Brac2Brac is Brellly2brelly trolling. Those Yankees havent gottenover the hump into the Series in how many years now?
elgranrojo44
5 languages !? Wow
NYYstateofmind
Yes, if you’re including gibberish & sign.
sjwil1
English, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese and Jive?
mookiesboy
Excuse me stewardess……
jk
Ha! need a jive translator?
MrMet62
Lol
Gomez Toth
Just hang loose, blood….
costergaard2
Chump don’t want the help ? Chump don’t get the help !
Rbase
Papiamento, a creole language that is spoken on Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. You hear it a lot on Dutch baseball fields as well 🙂
humphrey x boegarts
He is fluent in the language of love
LordD99
Didi Gregorius is the same. They both were raised in Curaçao, where they’re taught multiple languages. It’s the Dutch influence.
costergaard2
Muelens managed Didi in the last WBC for the Netherlands = )
txman22
Couldn’t have been a lack of communication.
geg42
Meulens will be a MLB manager someday.
giantsphan12
I hope you’re right @geg. Bam Bam Meulens is the real deal and would bolster any coaching/managerial staff. IMO he would be a great manager.
EasternLeagueVeteran
He deserves a chance. So does DeMarlo Hale and Tony DeFeancesco. But those names aren’t on the tip of anyone’s lips because they have too much experience managing in the minor leagues. The days of Tommy Lasorda replacing Walter Alston are long gone. People do need to give Rojas a chance.
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Maybe this is a case of Rojas being given more input on the coaching staff? Meulens supposedly had a good relationship with Beltran, so it wouldn’t shock me if there was tension there.
LordD99
That’s my guess. I can’t remember the sequence. Was Meulens hired to be Beltran’s bench coach and then stayed to be Rojas’ bench coach? If so, this simply be a case of Alderson deciding to keep Rojas but wanting to bring in his own man for the bench coach.
Larry David's Joe Pepitone Jersey
You’re correct, Meulens was hired to be on Beltran’s staff.
EasternLeagueVeteran
Thanks Kirk for pointing that out. It makes sense to commit to Rojas then they should commit to him picking his staff
sirklearhead
The manager should always pick his coaches. The game decisions are his so also be those people he feels comfortable with their decisions.
jim stem
Meulens was barely a sideshow performer in our circus last year. Judging him or Rojas is unfair. Honestly, I’d be surprised if Rojas isn’t replaced as manager and offered the job of bench coach himself. Then again, he may already have a good relationship with Alderson from the past.
@DaOldDerbyBastard
How are the Wilpons dodging being the scapegoats?
angt222
Edgardo Alfonzo for bench coach
txman22
YES!
cleonswoboda
the Mets just lost out on Joe McEwing,who just signed as White Sox 3rd base coach. he would’ve been perfect for the Mets,he was my choice for manager when they signed Collins and then again when they signed Beltran and then Rojas. of course my opinion doesn’t count.
DTI812
I would welcome that. The Wilson’s for some reason didn’t like him. I think he is manager material
Shoeless Joe
Johnny Bench- who else for bench coach??
Scutarointherain
As a Giants fan, I’d love to see Meulens welcomed back under the right circumstances.
grndslam
Don’t worry MUTS will definitely screw it up.. lol
jessaumodesto
Hope he gets a head coaching job now
DTI812
Hensley, we hardly knew ya!