Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts’ coaching staff in 2021 included: bench coach Bob Geren, hitting coaches Brant Brown, Robert Van Scoyoc, and Aaron Bates (assistant), base coaches Clayton McCullough (first) and Dino Ebel (third), pitching coaches Mark Prior and Connor McGuiness (assistant), bullpen coaches Josh Bard and Steve Cilladi (catcher), and game planning and communications coach Danny Lehmann.

Although some fans are lobbying on social media for the team to replace Roberts, it is almost certain that he will return in 2022 for his seventh season as the on-fielder leader. Roberts’ .622 winning percentage during his Dodgers career speaks for itself, and it is more likely that he and the team will negotiate an extension, not a severance package.

Mark Prior and Josh Bard have been credited with developing Dodgers pitching prospects and refining the mechanics and pitching sequences for veteran pitchers. The Dodgers likely want both Prior and Bard to return, but there is the potential that other teams may pursue either, or both. Similarly, Ebel is highly regarded throughout MLB and could be sought by other teams.

There have been no rumors of any changes to the Dodgers coaching staff, but an area that may be of concern are the hitting coaches. At various times during the season and postseason, Roberts expressed frustration with the quality of Dodgers at-bats, hitters approaches, and failing to execute fundamentals. And some players, notably Cody Bellinger, struggled with mechanics for extended periods.

Perhaps only a coincidence that Boston Red Sox hitting coach for the last four seasons, 50-year-old Tim Hyers, recently declined an offer to return in that role for 2022. Under Hyers’ guidance, Boston’s offense has been one of MLB’s best in runs scored, team batting average, slugging, and OPS. He started his coaching career in the Red Sox organization, and one of his pupils was a young prospect named Mookie Betts, who became one of the best offensive players in the game.

Tim Hyers’ name should sound familiar to Dodgers fans, as he served as the assistant hitting coach for the team from 2016 through 2017. Reportedly, he is a respected hitting coach and well-liked throughout the clubhouse.

Will there be changes to the coaching staff? Are there coaches who will leave for promotions or better opportunities? Are there minor league coaches who are deserving of a promotion? Would the team like to add an ex-player like fan-favorites Andre Ethier or Chase Utley to the staff? Is the team prepared to move in a different coaching direction?

We should know the answer to these questions sometime within the next several weeks, as the team’s recent practice is to announce their coaching staff during the early part of December.

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