Many teams are still setting up their coaching staffs for the 2026 season, and some news broke about some departures on the Rangers staff earlier tonight. Let’s check in with some more coaching-related rumblings from around the league…
- The Mets have interviewed Padres third base/infield coach Tim Leiper for an unspecified role on New York’s coaching staff, according to The Athletic’s Tim Britton. SNY’s Andy Martino reported yesterday that the Mets were nearing a hire for their third base coach vacancy, so it would seem logical that Leiper might be the one being tapped as Mike Sarbaugh’s replacement. Leiper has been San Diego’s third base coach for the last two seasons, and since the Padres are looking for a new manager, it makes sense that Leiper would be exploring other options if the Padres’ staff is about to get shaken up. Leiper has close to 30 years as a coach and manager in the minors and in international baseball, plus he was also the Blue Jays’ first base coach for five seasons (2014-18).
- The Rays are looking for a new assistant hitting coach, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Brady North previously filled the role, but the team announced last month that North would be moving on to a possible new role in the organization after four years on the coaching staff. Topkin notes that Ozzie Timmons is one of the internal candidates for the assistant hitting coach role, which would mark Timmons’ return to Tampa’s staff after a four-year absence. Timmons was the Rays’ first base coach from 2018-21 before moving onto a three-year stint as a hitting coach with the Brewers. Tampa Bay brought Timmons back into the fold as a special assistant and roving coach role within the organization prior to the 2025 season.
Is it hot stove when coaches move?
Or is it more like dishwasher? Clean them up, rinse, repeat.
Rays need to get rid on Mottola, not hire a new assistant. Rays fans are tired of seeing sub-.230 hitters and bats going cold in the playoffs.
Yes, totally agree. Unfortunately, it seems like every other year the offense does just good enough for him to keep his job. This past year, a lot of the power numbers were inflated because of playing in Steinbrenner.
Karensjer: It’s lame to blame the coach. He can’t hit for the players.
If you want better stats, get better players.
That is a whole other layer of the problem, and with the way that first press conference with the new owners went, I find it difficult to believe that they will invest in better free agents or extend guys.
They could easily trade Diaz for whichever decent hitting Catcher St. Louis doesn’t want, sign Alonso to play first, extend Caminero, and go after some front line starters, but by the end of spring training, it will be Fortes, Walls, Diaz, and DeLuca starting at C, SS, 1B, and CF, and by July all 3 will have a few web gems, and collectively hit .230 with 10 HRs between them.
While it does help to sign better players, I feel like Mottola had the guys hitting in 2020, and during subsequent seasons, he got the guys too focused on analytics, SABRmetrics, launch angle and such, and now the whole team barely hits .230. Burn the front office and coaching staff, and boycot the owners until they spend money and don’t let a computer make 100% of their decisions.
Karensjer: But 2020 was five years ago. In that time, the roster changed so they no longer have many of the same players who hit that year, and any players who stayed are now five years older.
None of that is Mottola’s fault.
He presided over Arozarena going from a .274 average to .211, Diaz winning a batting title at .330, then dropping to .280, Taylor Walls hitting a collective .195 in 5 seasons with Mottola at the helm. Brandon Lowe hit .270 in 2019 and 2020, then dips to .247, .221, .231, and .244. Josh Lowe was at .292 in 2023, then .241 and .220 the next 2 years. Jose Siri hit .241 during his first year with Tampa. Then .222 and .187 before getting the boot. I won’t even bring up Alex Jackson, as that brings back painful memories of going to games and watching him hit (more like not hit) with runners on base.
I’m just saying if the majority of players who start for your team during your tenure (whether they are with the team now or not) start showing a big dip in batting average, it may be the coaches fault. The main guys in 2020 who were starters had dips in batting average before they got traded away, signed with other clubs, or are still hitting near .200 in the Tampa lineup.
Karensjer: That’s certainly the easiest answer and the path of least resistance, but it’s likely not that simple.
@alfred – It isn’t all Mottolla and it would be easy to just blame the coach. However, if you watch the Rays, much of what Karensjer is right, especially with the over-emphasis on lift, launch angle, and power from a group that has little to speak of. The 2020 group deteriorated a lot, and much of that wasn’t all physical decline, but an approach at the plate where no matter the situation, players like Taylor Walls and Jose Siri were going to swing for the fences instead of putting the ball in play. Yes, part of that is the players’ fault, but two things can be true at once and Mottolla either encouraged them to take that approach or did nothing to correct them.
I will say that this year there was a lot more emphasis on small ball. I think it was the first time I saw them consistently bunt and use a more contact-oriented for players with that skillset (Aranda, Simpson, and Mangum). Maybe that’s a step in the right direction? Maybe Motalla deserves another year because of that course correction? However, the peaks and valleys with this offense are so vast (including during this past year) and have been a consistent feature of Motalla’s leadership/the players he coaches. If you’re a Rays fans, you get it and it is hard to watch.
Yes and no. Tbh the whole Rays coaching staff look to be on autopilot. Keep the status quo. Don’t take too many risks.
Having said that, there’s been so many questionable calls. Perhaps because of the analytics or matchup numbers, but the decisions by coaches is a tier below average. Time for a big shakeup
The Rays have fans?
Yes, there are dozens of us!
Mr. Pessimist: Yes, the Rays have fans. And this site has trolls, as you demonstrate.