Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports reports former Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen has officially left the Mets organization to accept a role as assisting pitching coach for the Texas Rangers. Warthen will join a Rangers staff which includes pitching coach Doug Brocail and bullpen coach Hector Ortiz.
Warthen had served as the Mets pitching coach for 10 years overseeing the development of a talented Mets pitching staff headlined by Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, and Jeurys Familia. The staff put much trust in Warthen with many of the players vocal in their support for Warthen late this season.
Heading into the 2017 campaign, Warthen believed it to be his last before retirement. However, after a disappointing season marred by a rash of injuries to the entire Mets team, Warthen wanted just one more year. Given the Mets were going in a different direction as an organization with the team reassigning Terry Collins and hiring Mickey Callaway in his stead, the team similarly offered Warthen a role in the organization.
Instead, Warthen will bring his slider to a Texas Rangers team that was in the bottom third in ERA (4.66) and WHIP (1.40).
