As most baseball fans know, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen (et al.) has been interviewing for a new manager. Among the candidates interviewed for one of baseball’s most visible (and scrutinized) positions was 41-year-old Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough, a former seven-year minor league catcher who was initially drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 22nd round in 2002 out of East Carolina University in Greenville, NC and who was hired by the Dodgers in 2015 as the franchise’s Minor League Field Coordinator. He remained in that role through 2020 until promoted as the Dodgers’ new first base coach in 2021.

Clayton McCullough will not be the Mets’ new manager.

On Sunday evening, it was reported that the Mets had narrowed down their managerial search to three candidates, and McCullough was not one of them.

This from MLB Trade Rumors:

“There was no surprise over Showalter’s inclusion, and there is an increasing expectation that the veteran skipper will ultimately be the Mets’ choice.  As SNY’s Andy Martino puts it, a Showalter hiring “feels almost inevitable,” and “folks in the industry are convinced Showalter is getting the job unless something goes horribly wrong in final stages.”

“While the 65-year-old Showalter has 20 years of managerial experience, the 46-year-old Espada has never been a manager at the big league level, though he has a long resume as a coach.  Working for the last four years as the Astros’ bench coach, Espada also has seven previous seasons of experience as a third base coach with the Yankees and Marlins, as well as stints as a special assistant to Yankees GM Brian Cashman and as a coach and coordinator in the Marlins’ farm system.”

Barring the unknown and unforeseen – which there is a lot of going around right now – by all indications, McCullough will (probably) return as the Dodgers first base coach in 2022.

…as will Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren, who also interviewed for the Mets managerial job last week and who is also not among the finalists; this despite him having five years of MLB managerial experience with the Oakland Athletics prior to being appointed as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts‘ bench coach in 2016.

Although it is far too early to consider the Dodgers 2022 coaching staff as being set, especially with no end to the current MLB lockout in sight, early indications are that Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman will probably bring back most of – if not all of – his 2021 coaching staff.

…barring the unknown and unforeseen, of course.

Play Ball!

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