The Mets are going to hire Kai Correa as their new bench coach, reports Pat Ragazzo of SI. He’ll replace John Gibbons, who held that job with the Mets for the past two seasons. Correa has been with the Guardians for the past two campaigns with the title of major league field coordinator, director of defense/strategy/baserunning.
Correa, 37, is a Hawaii native who is clearly respected around the game. After many years coaching in college ball, he was hired by the Guardians in 2018 to coach in the minors. Ahead of the 2020 season, he was hired by the Giants as bench coach and infield instructor.
Towards the end of the 2023 season, the Giants fired manager Gabe Kapler. Correa was tapped as the interim skipper for the final three games of the season. The Giants went 1-2 in those contests. Correa received an interview for that open managerial position going into 2024 but Bob Melvin got the gig. It was then that he returned to the Guardians, this time in a major league coaching role.
After a disappointing 2025 season, the Mets are making a number of coaching changes. One of the departed is Gibbons, with Correa stepping in to take over as manager Carlos Mendoza’s bench coach. It has also been reported today that Jeff Albert will join the staff to run the hitting department, with another hitting coach hire to come. Albert and that unknown other coach will replace outgoing hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
Cleveland is noted for their defense, so he certainly did a good job there. As bench coach, he might be able to help tighten up the Mets defense too.
I hope so. Those are areas of long-term weakness for the Mets. Cleveland, Toronto, and Milwaukee show what great defense and baserunning can add to winning.
if the Mets sign Alonso then help him make throws to 1st
..lol
I’d be surprised if they re-sign Alonso.
If they do, not sure anyone can cure whatever his throwing issue is.
Gotta feel for Polar Bear tho hard to make throws when it’s cold out and he wearing mittens
Mets adding Correa is a smart move
So they finally get Correa.
Oh, wait, different one.
Who?
Managed the Giants for the last three games of the 2023 season after they fired Kapler.
He’s a good baseball guy. He was Kapler’s bench coach in SF. He’s the one who was able to develop and maintain rapport with the players and focus on fundamentals.
How to train like a big league infielder. Plenty of Kai doing fundamentals on YouTube.
I think it’s a smart move. Once you have a good roster you need to tighten up the smaller things that are important to winning in the postseason.
Talent can get you there, but it’s fundamentals that matter just as much in the postseason. You can mistake your way out of a postseason series as well.
Well done, Mets.
Mets are toxic. I think it will be shocking to him after san francisco and cleveland how miserable it is to live there and face that club house every day. Money isnt everything. His quality of life just took a significant hit.
Worry about your own quality of life.
I dunno, man. For being “toxic”, the players sure do seem happy in that clubhouse.
In nurse follars:
You are the perfect example of everyone has an opinion, but not all should be expressed. The team went to the NLCS last year. Further than either of those other teams that you cited. Yes they had a collapse this year, but that doesn’t mean the entire organization is toxic. You speak of what you do not know.
Wow. New Yorkers are miserable? Umm, the only way to be miserable living in NY is to have severe problems feeling.
A 37 year old hitting coach thats never played in the majors, just what we need. I’m sure players like Lindor, Soto, and Alonso will respect his opinions
Good thing Aaron Judge’s personal hitting coach was a 25-year vet MLB player… oh wait
25 yr old vet seems kinda young but good on Aaron for hiring him, prolly helps to have access to regular checkups and keeps the doggy coat looking shiny
I’m sorry, but there had to be better experienced bench coaches out there. We are long past experimenting on the cheap. I hope the rest of the offseason signings go better than this.