Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Andy Green

Mets Hire Andy Green In Player Development Role

By | at

The Mets have hired Andy Green for a senior role in their player development department, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (X links).  Earlier today, Sherman reported that Green had been fired from his previous job as the Cubs’ bench coach, but Sherman corrected himself by saying that Green wasn’t fired, but that he turned down the Cubs’ offer to remain as bench coach or in another job in the organization.

This isn’t the first link between Green and the Mets this winter, as it seems likely that the groundwork for this hiring was laid when Green interviewed for New York’s managerial opening a few weeks ago.  Though the Mets opted to hire Carlos Mendoza as their new skipper, obviously the club liked Green enough to still want him within the organization.  With Craig Counsell unexpectedly supplanting David Ross as Chicago’s new manager, Green might have decided it was also time for a change, as Green’s stint as bench coach coincided with Ross’ four-year tenure as the Wrigleyville manager.

Green is no stranger to the Big Apple, as his last three seasons as a player were spent in the Mets organization, including his last four MLB big games in 2009.  Upon retirement, he became a manager in the Diamondbacks’ farm system and then Arizona’s third base coach for the 2015 season.  Green was then hired to be the Padres’ manager, compiling a 274-366 record from 2016-19 while initially overseeing a rebuilding San Diego club.

It remains to be seen if this player development job could lead to a new career path for the 46-year-old Green, or if he’ll eventually look to return to an on-field role.  Green’s managerial aspirations obviously haven’t left him, given his interviews with both the Mets and the Guardians within the last two months.

Cubs Part Ways With Bench Coach Andy Green

By | at

Cubs bench coach Andy Green won’t be back with the team in 2024, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that Green was “dismissed.”  It isn’t known exactly when Green was let go, yet Chicago has already started looking for a replacement, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (via X) reports that Marlins first base coach Jon Jay received an interview but won’t be hired.

The somewhat under-the-radar nature of Green’s firing is a little surprising, though in the bigger picture, a change of bench coach commonly coincides with the hiring of a new manager.  With Craig Counsell now running the Cubs’ dugout, it makes sense that he would get some say in picking and choosing his staff — particularly at bench coach since the role usually serves as the manager’s top lieutenant.  For instance, Green was one of David Ross’ first hires when Ross became the Cubs’ manager during the 2019-20 offseason.

Beyond his four years of experience as Chicago’s bench coach, Green is best known for his four-year stint as the Padres’ manager from 2016-19.  San Diego didn’t have any winning seasons during Green’s tenure, though the Padres were rebuilding during the first few of those years before expectations were raised after the Manny Machado signing.  The lack of success with the Friars didn’t entirely dim Green’s prospects as a skipper, since he interviewed with both the Mets and Guardians just this winter about managerial vacancies.

The 38-year-old Jay only just retired in April 2022, hanging up his cleats after 12 MLB seasons (which included a stop with the Cubs in 2017).  It didn’t take long for Jay to jump back into the game, however, as Jay was named Miami’s first base coach shortly after ex-teammate Skip Schumaker become the Marlins’ manager last year.  Jay has been cited as a potential future managerial candidate himself, as he fits the trend of clubs looking to hire younger managers more recently removed from their playing careers.

Mets Interview Carlos Mendoza, Andy Green In Managerial Search

By | at

The Mets have interviewed Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza for their managerial vacancy, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. SNY’s Andy Martino indicates that Mendoza is actually in the midst of a second-round interview today after interviewing for the first time last week and receiving a callback. Sherman also reports that the club has interviewed Cubs bench coach Andy Green, though it’s unclear if that’s a first or second interview.

Mendoza, 43, spent 13 seasons as a minor league player before joining the Yankees’ minor league coaching staff in 2009. He joined the big league coaching staff as an infield coach in 2017 before being promoted to bench coach following the 2019 season. Green, on the other hand, participated in parts of four big league seasons during his playing career, including the 2009 season as a member of the Mets. Since retiring, Green served briefly as third base coach of the Diamondbacks before being hired to manage the Padres prior to the 2016 season. Green managed in San Diego for four seasons before joining the Cubs’ coaching staff as bench coach prior to the 2020 campaign.

The pair have drawn interest from other clubs for managerial vacancies, as well. After drawing occasional managerial interest in recent years, Mendoza was among the likeliest candidates to take over for Gabe Kapler as manager of the Giants prior to the club securing permission to interview Bob Melvin. In addition, both coaches have been interviewed by the Guardians. If hired in Cleveland, either coach would step into the shoes of longtime manager Terry Francona following his recent retirement.

Should Mendoza depart the Bronx for another club this offseason, Martino notes that the Yankees could look to promote third base coach Luis Rojas, himself a former Mets manager, to the position. Though Rojas’s contract with the Yankees is up this offseason, Martino makes clear the the club has interest in retaining him, either as bench coach or in his current role as third base coach. It’s not yet clear what direction the Cubs could go in if they wind up needing to replace Green. Chicago already lost a key member of the club’s staff this offseason when Craig Breslow departed the Cubs’ front office to take the vacant GM role in Boston.

That the Mets are moving on to a second interview with Mendoza suggests that the club’s interest in his services next year is strong, though Sherman still refers to Brewers manager Craig Counsell as the “favorite” for the Mets job. Of course, Counsell has plenty of options beyond New York that could complicate the club’s pursuit of his services; Counsell has received interest from the Astros, the Brewers hope to retain him in Milwaukee on a new contract, and he’s already interviewed with the Guardians. Curiously, while MLB Network’s Jon Morosi has indicated that Counsell and the Mets have discussed the club’s managerial vacancy, Martino makes clear that Counsell has not had a formal interview with Mets brass to this point.

With the Mets apparently advancing to a second round of interviews for other candidates before sitting down with Counsell for a first interview it’s possible, speculatively speaking, that the club hopes to move through the interview process with other candidates so that they can act quickly upon Counsell’s decision regarding where he will manage in 2024. If that’s the case, it’s unclear what other candidates could be in the mix beyond Mendoza and Green, as details regarding the managerial search in New York have been few and far between this offseason. While Rangers associate manager Will Venable reportedly declined to interview for the position last month, Mendoza, Green, and Counsell are the only publicly known candidates for the position at this point.

Guardians Interview Andy Green, Seeking Permission To Speak With Craig Counsell

By | at

The Guardians have interviewed Cubs bench coach Andy Green as they continue their managerial search, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (X link). He joins Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough, Giants bullpen/catching coach Craig Albernaz and Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza among those who have met with Cleveland brass.

Cleveland could add a big name to that list. Will Sammon of the Athletic reports that the Guardians have requested permission from the Brewers to meet with the current Milwaukee manager. Craig Counsell’s contract with the Brew Crew runs through the end of the month, meaning the Brewers have to sign off on any such meeting. Considering they’ve already granted him permission to interview for the Mets job, they could well do the same with Cleveland.

This is the first time Green has been publicly reported as a managerial candidate since he joined David Ross’ coaching staff during the 2019-20 offseason. The 46-year-old has spent four seasons in the #2 job in Chicago after three and a half years leading the charge in San Diego. The Padres tabbed Green as manager entering the 2016 season.

A mostly-rebuilding San Diego team lost 90+ games in his three full campaigns. With the club en route to a fourth-place finish in 2019, the Padres fired Green in September. That led him to Chicago. In addition to his three-plus years managing in the big leagues, the former MLB infielder had managed in the Diamondbacks’ farm system early in the 2010s.

Counsell’s MLB résumé is far more robust, as he has led the Brewers to a 53.1% win percentage and five playoff appearances in parts of nine seasons. Even if he meets with Cleveland, they’ll face competition from perhaps the Mets and a Milwaukee organization that has made clear it hopes to retain its longtime skipper.

A belief that New York would be willing to offer Counsell a notable raise relative to his reported $3.5MM salary is among the reasons some observers believe he could wind up in Queens (as is the oft-noted connection to new president of baseball operations David Stearns). Sammon writes that the Guardians could be prepared to make a competitive financial proposal to Counsell after making Terry Francona one of the league’s higher-paid managers during his 11 years there.

NL West Notes: Pederson, Stripling, Myers, Profar, Panda

By | at

Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling were all but officially headed from the Dodgers to the Angels in a trade that branched off from the original Dodgers/Red Sox/Twins three-team swap that would have sent Mookie Betts and David Price to Los Angeles.  While that initial three-team trade broke down and was revived as two separate deals, however, the Dodgers and Angels broke off the planned swap that would have sent Pederson, Stripling, and prospect Andy Pages to Anaheim for a package that included infield prospect Luis Rengifo.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman kept Pederson and Stripling up to date as talks progressed, though since no trade developed, both players are still in Dodger blue.  The end result is a situation Pederson admitted was “a little awkward” as Spring Training begins, though he told media (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register) that he is “excited to be here, ready to win a World Series.”  Stripling concurred, saying that while the opportunity to be a full-time starting pitcher for the Angels was intriguing, he is happy to remain with what he described as “a first-class organization all the way through.”  As to almost being traded, Stripling “didn’t choose to take it personally,” noting “I understand the business side of it…we had a chance to get Mookie Betts and David Price. If that means getting rid of Ross Stripling, then that’s part of it.”

More from around the NL West…

  • Wil Myers also isn’t any stranger to the Mookie Betts trade saga, as he was reportedly part of a Padres offer headed to Boston in exchange for the star outfielder.  “It seemed extremely real at that given moment,” Myers told the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee and other reporters, though he noted that “I’ve been traded twice.  I’ve been in trade rumors a long time.  I’ve figured out how to deal with it.  I have no hard feelings toward anybody…I understand the business side.”  The proposed Betts trade was far from Myers’ only inclusion in the offseason rumor mill, as the Padres have reportedly been trying to unload the former AL Rookie Of The Year (and at least some of the $61MM remaining on Myers’ contract) for much of the winter.  If a trade doesn’t happen, Myers is looking forward to a new season and a fresh start with a new coaching staff, as he admitted to a bit of tension with former manager Andy Green.  “Listen, it goes both ways. There are times you’re with a guy for four years and certain things happen,” Myers said.  “Nobody hates Andy.  It was a situation that happens.  At the highest level, emotions run high.”
  • While the Padres haven’t shut the door on using Jurickson Profar at other positions during the season, Profar’s Spring Training work will be focused around second base, manager Jayce Tingler told MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell and other reporters.  “Right now, where we’re trying to get his progression on the throwing, we find it best to just stay concentrated at second base,” Tingler said.  “But, again, being a switch-hitter and being able to play six or seven different positions, we view that as a positive.”  Acquired in a trade with the Athletics in December, Profar is still looking to fully establish himself as an everyday player after dealing with multiple injuries and overall inconsistent performance, and he has still played in only 491 MLB games since the start of the 2012 season.  Profar has spent the bulk of his time at the big league level as a second baseman (1536 2/3 of 3590 2/3 career innings), though after also spending a lot of time as a shortstop, third baseman, first baseman, and left fielder, it could be that stabilizing at one position will be what helps Profar not just improve defensively, but also get his bat on track.
  • Pablo Sandoval is excited to be back with the Giants, telling Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle and other reporters that though he received offers from other teams this winter, “I didn’t want to make the same mistake I made before” in signing somewhere other than San Francisco.  (i.e. signing with the Red Sox after the 2014 season.)  It seems as if the Giants also had their eye on re-signing the Kung Fu Panda, as manager Gabe Kapler invited Sandoval along to a December lunch with pitchers Andrew Suarez and Shaun Anderson in Miami.  “I think we envisioned [Sandoval] being a Giant,” Kapler said.  It will still be a few months before Sandoval officially dons the orange-and-black in a regular season game, as the veteran is recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Cubs To Hire Andy Green As Bench Coach

By | at

Former Padres skipper Andy Green will be named the new bench coach for the Cubs, per Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com (via Twitter). Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweeted that Green was expected to be tapped after he was linked to the job through reports earlier this week.

Green becomes the top lieutenant under new Cubs manager David Ross, who is turning over a major portion of his staff. Last year’s bench coach, Mark Loretta, will leave the Chicago organization, Heyman adds via Twitter. Loretta, like Green, came from San Diego.

It seems the Cubs preferred to provide Ross with an experienced manager at his right hand, as this’ll be his first-ever season in charge of a dugout. Green helmed the Friars for almost four full seasons and also did the in-game decisionmaking before that in the minor-leagues.

Latest On Cubs’ Bench Coach Position

By | at

Mark Loretta recently finished his first season as the Cubs’ bench coach, but with a new manager at the helm, it could end up as his last. Loretta is under consideration to retain the bench coach position, but they’re interviewing other candidates for the job, per Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic (subscription link). Former Padres manager Andy Green is among those “on the team’s radar,” Mooney and Sharma write.

Loretta’s a former major league infielder who spent significant time in the Padres’ front office after his playing career ended in 2009. He jumped ship for the Cubs last offseason to join Joe Maddon’s staff, but the Cubs parted with the latter after a campaign that fell shy of expectations. Although Loretta was among those who interviewed with the Cubs to replace Maddon, they instead wound up hiring one of their former players, David Ross. Loretta also interviewed for the managerial opening in San Diego, where he’d have replaced Green had he landed the job. However, the Padres chose Jayce Tingler over Loretta and other candidates.

The bench coach hire figures to be especially important for Ross, as he’s a first-time skipper who possesses no coaching experience in MLB. Green has totaled almost four years as a big league manager, having led the rebuilding Padres until they sent him to an early exit this past September. Before joining the Padres, Green managed in the minors and spent a year as a third base coach with the Diamondbacks.

Bruce Bochy Noncommittal On Padres Opening

By | at

Giants skipper Bruce Bochy recently recorded his 2000th victory behind the reins of a big league dugout–a nice capstone to what has largely been expected to be his final season as a manager. However, with the firing of Andy Green in San Diego, speculation has already mounted around a potential Bochy-San Diego reunion. As we previously relayed from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Bochy is indeed on the Padres shortlist of potential Green replacements, and reporters, including Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, were quick to press Bochy today on his willingness to don Padre brown in 2020 (link).

“I’m not even going there,” Bochy said when asked about the San Diego opening, “I’m concentrating here right now doing what I’m supposed to do. That’s the last thing on my mind right now, as much as we’re in the last week here.”

While Bochy didn’t even want to entertain the possibility of an intra-division heel-turn, it’s worth noting that he has not necessarily ruled out a return to managing. Back in Spring Training, Schulman relays that Bochy said “Never is a long time” when he was asked if 2019 would truly be his final season as a manager.  As San Diego’s skipper from 1995 to 2006, Bochy amassed a 951-975 managerial record–a stretch that also contained one Manager of the Year award in 1996 and an NL pennant in 1998.

Besides his history with the organization, a few other factors may fuel Bochy-to-San Diego rumors in the short term. For one, the February announcement of Bochy’s retirement coincided with San Francisco’s integration of Farhan Zaidi as President of Baseball Operations this past November; although team officials dispelled notions at the time that Bochy was politely nudged toward the door with Zaidi’s arrival in SF, changes in leadership do often precipitate changes at the managerial level. Secondly, it’s also fair to note that Bochy makes his offseason home in the San Diego exurb of Poway, so speculation will likely continue until he definitively declines consideration for the Padres job.

For what it’s worth, Bob Nightengale of USA Today divulged this afternoon that San Diego was eating about $2.5MM in firing Green with two years left on his contract (link). Terms of Green’s 2017 managerial extension had been previously unreported, so the revelation of his approximately $1.25MM yearly salary may be relevant in trying to pinpoint his potential successor. Bochy has been performing under a $6MM per annum contract with San Francisco since the 2017 season, so a southbound move to San Diego would require either a substantial pay cut for Bochy or an unprecedented budgetary bump from the Padre ownership group.

Padres Fire Andy Green

By | at

9:12pm: A Union-Tribune piece from Acee has identified Yankees third base coach and former Padre Phil Nevin as another target of interest for San Diego (link).

4:35pm: Per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres have already formed a list of candidates that they would consider for the manager job. Bruce Bochy, Mike Scioscia, Moises Alou, Ron Washington, and Mark Loretta are all receiving consideration, according to Acee. Of course, that list is surely far from final, and the team won’t rush into a decision, but it’s nonetheless noteworthy to see where the club is looking early in its search for a new skipper.

12:58pm: The Padres have relieved manager Andy Green of his duties, general manager A.J. Preller announced today in an official team release. In Green’s wake, bench coach Rod Barajas will serve as the interim manager for the remainder of the season.

Green’s Padres tenure will reach its conclusion after nearly four years at the helm, a span in which his teams compiled a 274-366 overall record. He had two years remaining on his contract, with Bob Nightengale of USA Today noting that the team will absorb roughly $2.5MM that is still owed to Green.

It’s been a disappointing four years, and while the state of the roster over those years has hardly been a strength, it seems that the front office was hoping for the team to show more signs of positive progress under Green, something that seems to have been lost in the second half of the season.

Green failed to lead the Friars to the postseason in each of his seasons as manager, extending a playoff drought that now dates back to 2006.

Though the team won’t hold an official press conference until later tonight, Preller offered the following words regarding the decision:

I want to thank Andy for his tireless work and dedication to the Padres over the last four seasons.  This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we felt was necessary at this time to take our organization to the next level and expedite the process of bringing a championship to San Diego.  Our search for a new manager will begin immediately.

With Green out of the mix, the door is now open to what figures to be one of the most attractive managerial positions in baseball. Not only will the Padres’ next skipper inherit a bevy of Major League talent that features young stars like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Chris Paddack, but also one of baseball’s finest farm systems, which could graduate considerable talent to the big-league club in the next couple of seasons. The aforementioned trio could soon be joined by MacKenzie Gore—baseball’s top pitching prospect—and Taylor Trammell, to name just two of the Padres’ top minor-leaguers. Add in an ideal location in San Diego, and the Padres should have their choice of a considerable number of candidates.

This is a Padres team that has seemingly been on the cusp of a breakthrough for the better part of a decade. However, that potential has yet to actualize, with the team failing to win 80 games in each of the last nine seasons. While it’s been easy to preach patience as the Padres wait on promising youngsters to grow into Major Leaguers, many of those top prospects have now made their debuts and expectations are higher than they’ve ever been with Green in the dugout. With the best core of players that the franchise has seen in years, it was no longer an option to fall back on the farm system as a justification for losing. It feels like now is the time to capitalize on the collection of talent in the organization.

Recent actions of the front office have demonstrated exactly that. The high-profile signing of Eric Hosmer prior to 2018 seemed to usher in a newfound sense of urgency in the front office. The following offseason, the Padres doubled down on that aggression and inked Manny Machado to the richest contract in franchise history while also being linked to trade candidates like Trevor Bauer and Noah Syndergaard. While those talks never came to fruition, the team subsequently chose to sacrifice an extra year of team control for top prospects Paddack and Tatis in order to open the season with both phenoms on the active roster.

And after a 45-45 start to the season, it appeared that those decisions were paying off—that the team was not far from finally breaking through. While a .500 record certainly won’t earn a playoff spot, few expected this year—the first with Machado, Tatis, and Paddack—to be the one in which the Padres snapped the streak. Still, the first-half performance was nonetheless a sign that this team was ready to make the jump to contention. However, in the second half, those signs of progress have vanished. With Tatis injured and Paddack limited by concerns over his workload, the team has faltered since the All-Star break, logging a measly 24-40 record.

On the heels of three losing seasons to start his first managing gig, it was no secret entering 2019 that Green was going to be scrutinized heavily by Preller and other decision-makers in the organization, especially given the increased spotlight that landed on the team after the addition of Machado. Evidently, the dissatisfaction with Green finally came to a head with the Padres losing eight of their last nine games. While the complete rebuild in San Diego is not quite over, a change in leadership may ignite the team as it climbs it way out of mediocrity.

Padres’ Andy Green Reportedly On Hot Seat

By | at

Even though the Padres made a huge splash in free agency last winter with the signing of Manny Machado for $300MM over 10 years, only a select few pegged them as playoff contenders entering 2019. Now, with the season nearing a conclusion, the Padres own a 69-84 record and will miss the playoffs for the 13th straight campaign. Their latest failings could lead to the end of manager Andy Green’s tenure in San Diego, as Dennis Lin of The Athletic (subscription link) writes that the 42-year-old’s seat “is unmistakably hot.”

Green’s close to ending his fourth season with the Padres, who hired the former professional utilityman, minor league manager and Diamondbacks third base coach to oversee their dugout entering 2016. The Padres have gone a woeful 274-365 since then, though it wouldn’t be fair to judge Green solely on win-loss results. After all, Green joined an organization in the throes of a significant rebuild. The Padres were impressed enough with Green’s initial work to award him an extension through 2021 back in August 2017, so they’d have to eat an undisclosed amount of money in moving on from him.

The Green-led Padres fared better than most though they would over the first few months of this season, as they owned an even 45-45 record going into the All-Star break. The second half of 2019 has been forgettable, though, with San Diego having gone 24-39 to plummet from the National League wild-card race. Relatively disappointing performances from Machado, first baseman Eric Hosmer and outfielder Wil Myers – the Padres’ three highest-paid players, who are on contracts worth a combined $527MM in total value – haven’t helped matters. And the fact that phenom Fernando Tatis Jr., a shortstop who spent a large portion of the season looking like one of baseball’s premier rookies, went down for the year Aug. 13 with a back injury only added to the Padres’ problems.

Whether Green or someone else manages the club in 2020, it’s obvious GM A.J. Preller has his work cut out for him heading into the winter. Thanks in large part to their collection of young talent, the Padres look to be on the upswing. However, they’ve got plenty to address on the big league roster if they’re going to make a run at a playoff berth next season.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top