The New York Mets are bringing on a bevy of experience to Carlos Mendoza’s coaching staff as they are set to hire former big-league manager John Gibbons as their bench coach, as first reported by Will Sammon of The Athletic.
The 61-year-old is best known for his 11 years managing the Toronto Blue Jays over two separate stints between 2004-2018, amassing a 798-789 record that included two consecutive trips to the ALCS in 2015 and 2016.
Gibbons has previous ties to the Mets, too. He was drafted in the first round of the 1980 MLB Draft (24th overall) as a catcher where he played 18 pro games during the 1984 and 1986 seasons.
He provides a seasoned presence next to Mendoza in the Queens dugout as the club looks to contend in 2024 with a rookie manager who spent the last four seasons working as the Yankees’ bench coach under Aaron Boone and never held managerial experience above Single-A.
Speculation initially arose linking former New York manager Willie Randolph to the bench-coach job after Mendoza spoke highly of him at his introductory press conference last week. Former Angels manager Phil Nevin was also linked in recent days.
