Report: Mark Trumbo Is Candidate to Replace Eric Chavez on Yankees' Coaching Staff
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After Eric Chavez's abrupt departure, leaving the Yankees to become the Mets' new hitting coach, New York is wasting no time searching for a replacement.
According to this report, one candidate that has emerged this week is also a former big leaguer, a slugger that tormented Yankees pitchers while playing for a division rival not too long ago.
Former Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Mark Trumbo is a name linked to the Yankees and their vacant assistant hitting coach position, per Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News.
Here's a snippet from Ackert's report:
Former slugger Mark Trumbo is one of the names that has surfaced in the Yankees’ search, those sources also confirmed. The former first baseman and designated hitter played 10 years in the big leagues with the Angels, Diamondbacks, Mariners and Orioles. According to a source, Trumbo is “very well thought of [in baseball circles] and a smart and engaging communicator,” who’s been connected to a few teams this winter.
The Yankees have “cast a wide net” looking for someone who will help Dillon Lawson, the minor league hitting coordinator promoted to hitting coach, turn around an offense that was shockingly disappointing and inconsistent in 2021. But they also want someone with experience playing in the big leagues who can help balance out a staff that is very heavy on coaches with analytics backgrounds and very light on playing experience.
New York's coaching staff may have grown this offseason and added several bright minds, but without former hitting coach Marcus Thames, third base coach Phil Nevin and first base coach Reggie Willits, there are far fewer former MLB players in the organization. In fact, manager Aaron Boone, bullpen coach Mike Harkey and new first base coach and infield coach Travis Chapman (one career at-bat) are the only members of the coaching staff that previously appeared in an MLB game.
Boone didn't seem too worried about it when he spoke to reporters about the new-look coaching staff last month, but that was before Chavez flipped to Flushing.
Trumbo last played in 2019, wrapping up a 10-year career in which he donned four different uniforms. After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Angels, Trumbo was an Oriole for his final four seasons.
The slugger hit 218 home runs in the big leagues, posting a .249/.302/.459 slash line and a career .761 OPS across 1,097 games. He finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year race back in 2011 (Tampa Bay's right-hander Jeremy Hellickson won the award) and made two All-Star Games in his career.
Trumbo doesn't have the coaching experience that an older candidate might have, but the familiarity with those on New York's roster—playing against them over the last decade—certainly can't hurt.
Plus, with right-handed hitters like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sánchez and more looking to shine in 2022, Trumbo could provide specific instruction from his own experience hitting the ball out of the ballpark from the right side.
Boone was hoping that Chavez could play a versatile role on the coaching staff, serving as a "Swiss Army knife" while handling different responsibilities. Trumbo doesn't have the defensive accolades that Chavez does from his career, but his resume in the batter's box alone puts him in consideration.
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