The New York Mets fired hitting coaches Lamar Johnson and Luis Natera on Thursday, according to a team announcement, though they may remain with the organization in minor league capacities. Jon Heyman of CBS reports that the team hasn't yet chosen a replacement and that most of the rest of the coaching staff is expected to return in their current roles.
Mets fire hitting coaches Lamar Johnson and Luis Natera
“We appreciate the hard work of Lamar and Luis this year at the Major League level,” said New York general manager Sandy Alderson. “We hope they will continue to be part of the Mets organization in the future.”
The Mets scored 629 runs in 2014, tying them with the Houston Astros for 21st out of 30 teams. On the negative side, David Wright's .698 OPS (101 OPS+) was by far the lowest of his career -- his next-worst was a .771 mark in an injury-plagued 2011 season. Curtis Granderson hovered around a .230 average for the third straight year and offseason addition Chris Young didn't rebound from his poor 2013 campaign as hoped.
On the bright side, though, second baseman Daniel Murphy hit his way into an All-Star berth and Lucas Duda cracked 30 home runs in his first season as an everyday starter. Rookie catcher Travis d'Arnaud (13 home runs, .718 OPS) had a solid year at the plate as well after falling flat in a brief stint in 2013. The 25-year-old also showed improvement in the second half, with a .787 OPS in 53 games after the break.
Johnson, who posted a .754 OPS (109 OPS+) during a nine-year playing career, previously served as hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners. He joined the Mets as a roving instructor in 2005 and replaced Dave Hudgens on the big-league staff in May of 2014. Natera, who has worked for the team since 1990, was also added to the big-league staff in 2014 and was serving as the assistant hitting coach.
See More:
