Eric Chavez set to rekindle hitting role as Mets seek turnaround under Carlos Mendoza following disastrous season

The former Oakland Athletics legend, Eric Chavez, will return to his original role as hitting coach with the New York Mets.

A recap of the previous season reveals that the Mets were humiliated by the league's worst clubs, which infuriated the management. As a result, this offseason, changes were about to happen, and it all started with the great Buck Showalter parting ways with the ballclub via mutual consent.

Here's what SNY Network writer Andy Martino said:

"Eric Chavez will return to his original position of hitting coach with Mets, per sources. Was moved from that to bench last year. Will serve with current HC Jeremy Barnes as co-hitting coach. Plenty of players will be happy about this."

Chavez was yet another member of the coaching staff who was on the receiving end of the dismal hitting displays in the 2023 season. Chavez was the hitting coach for the Mets in 2022 but served as a bench coach with then-manager Buck Showalter.

With Carlos Mendoza as their new manager, the Mets will now have two hitting instructors. However, Mendoza has not yet disclosed who would take Chavez's post as bench coach.

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Eric Chavez is an experienced MLB hitter

Eric Chavez was an Oakland Athletics third baseman who earned six consecutive gold gloves from 2001 to 2006. Chavez joined the Yankees in 2015 and went straight from the field to the front office. He moved to Anaheim as Billy Eppler's special assistant a year later. In that capacity, he started to give his future more careful thought.

Chavez signed a six-year, $66 million contract in 2004—the largest contract ever given to an A's team. That's around a $94 million contract by today's standards. The lefty slugger slashed for a 0.268 batting average with 260 home runs and 902 RBIs in his 17-year career in the big leagues.