After hiring Carlos Beltran as manager, the Mets could add another familiar face to the coaching staff. Former Met, and current Twins’ assistant pitching coach, Jeremy Hefner, will interview today for Mets’ pitching coach position.

Hefner is one of several up and coming candidates that were highlighted by Eno Sarris of the Athletic last week.There are also experienced coaches, such as former Pirate’s pitching coach Ray Searage, and a few in-house candidates, that could fill the role. Let’s take a look at some potential options.

Phil Reagan

Mets’ Interim Pitching Coach (2019)

No other candidate on this list matches Regan’s experience. But it’s unclear if the 82-year-old pitching guru will return to the dugout in 2020.

According to Andy Martino of SNY, the Mets haven’t officially ruled him out. But as Martino observes, the Mets seem to be looking elsewhere given their interest in other candidates like Hefner.

Regan became the Mets’ interim pitching coach last summer after the team fired Dave Eiland. In the second half with Regan, the Mets pitchers produced the 4th best ERA in the MLB.  As the pitching coach of the St. Lucie Mets from 2009-2015, Regan worked with Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Steven Matz while they were prospects.

Regan pitched 13 seasons in the MLB from 1960-1972. He won 96 games and held a 3.84 ERA over 551 career games.

Jeremy Accardo

Mets’ Pitching Strategist (2019)

It’s Accardo’s understanding of the analytics that makes him an intriguing candidate. In an interview with Matt Ehalt of Yahoo Sports, Accardo described his role as being a “bridge” between the analytical side and the players.

In his eight year career that lasted from 2005-2012, Accardo recorded a 4.30 ERA with a 1.40 WHIP in 284.2 innings pitched. He saved a career high 30 games for the Blue Jays in 2007.

He previously worked as the Las Vegas 51’s bullpen coach in 2018, and the pitching coach for the Gulf Coast Mets in 2017.

Ray Searage 

Pirates’ Pitching Coach (2010-2019)

It’s hard not to be impressed with Searage’s work in Pittsburgh. During his tenure, he assisted the Pirates reach three consecutive playoff seasons, and seemed to get the most out of his rotation. A 2017 article from Ted Berg of USA Today details how helped rejuvenate the careers of pitchers of  like J.A. Happ, A.J. Burnett and Francisco Liriano.

However,  in recent years, Searage and the Pirates have struggled. They missed the playoffs four straight seasons and sunk to new lows in 2019 with 93 losses. He was fired after the season, along with manager Clint Hurdle. But a team like the Mets may think about hiring him to see if he can duplicate the success he had earlier in his tenure in Pittsburgh.

Chris Fetter

University of  Michigan’s Pitching Coach since 2018

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Fetter is seen as a “rising star” within the industry. Passan also noted that the Mets are one of the teams that have shown interest in the college coach.

Before becoming the pitching coach for Michigan, Fetter was the minor league pitching coordinator for the Dodgers.

Ricky Bones

Mets’ Interim Bullpen Coach (2019)

Bones has been the Mets’ bullpen coach since 2012, but 2019 was an unusual year for the former MLB pitcher. He was fired by General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen prior to the season, but he was brought back as the interim bullpen coach in June.

In 11 MLB seasons from 1991-2001, Bones went 63-82 with a 4.85 ERA.

Jeremy Hefner

Twins Assistant Pitching Coach (2019)

Mets’ fans remember Hefner from his stint with the team in 2012 and 2013. He posted a 8-15 record with a 4.65 ERA and 1.32 WHIP over 224.1 seasons. However, Hefner underwent two Tommy John surgeries, and never made it back to the majors.

After his playing career ended, he became an advanced scout for the Twins in 2017. Last season, he was promoted to assistant pitching coach for Minnesota, while the Twins finished inside the top ten in the MLB in ERA.

Much like Accardo, Hefner is in his 30’s and has strong understanding of analytics, as MMO’s own Tim Ryder highlighted yesterday.

Ruben Niebla

 Indians Assistant Pitching Coach (2019)

Niebla has been with the Indians as a coach since 2001. The 47-year-old worked his way up the ladder to become the team’s assistant pitching coach in 2013. Previously, he served as the team’s minor league pitching coordinator since 2013.

Niebla never made it to the MLB as a player. He pitched six seasons in the minor leagues  from 95-00 before starting his career as a coach. A  front office member quoted in Eno Sarris’ article in the Athletic said that Neibla would be “a monster addition to any list.”