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The overhaul of the New York Mets’ coaching staff continues. After their second-half collapse and horrific failure to make the postseason, the Mets have seen an exodus of assistants. Bench coach John Gibbons, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, hitting coach Eric Chavez, and infield coach Mike Sarbaugh were just a few of the names already confirmed to be departed since the end of September. Add another name to that list, as one of the Mets’ assistants has taken up residence with their rival on the other side of New York City. NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 11: Assistant Pitching Coach, Desi Druschel of the New York Yankees looks on during the game against the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium on August 11, 2024, in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) On Sunday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel, who came over from the Yankees this past season, is headed back to work as an assistant on the Yankees’ pitching staff. “Druschel, a veteran coach who received permission to talk with other teams, will rejoin the Yankees as an assistant to pitching coach Matt Blake,” Passan wrote on X. Druschel, 50, began his career in professional baseball with the Yankees in 2019 after five years on the coaching staff at the University of Iowa. He spent the 2021 through 2024 seasons on the major league staff with the Bronx Bombers, and will presumably return to a similar role for the upcoming season. Meanwhile, the Mets, who have hired a new bench coach (Kai Correa) and director of major league hitting (Jeff Albert), still have a bunch of openings to address, with Druschel’s departure leaving the pitching department almost completely gutted. Manager Carlos Mendoza kept his job, but the overhaul of the majority of his coaching staff certainly indicates that ownership and the front office expect a lot more than the 83-79 record the Mets put up this season. More MLB: Blue Jays Leaders Drop Yoshinobu Yamamoto Message After Game 2 Masterpiece
