Should Managers Choose Their Own Coaching Staff?

By Josh Finkelstein

With Carlos Beltran now officially in the fold for the 2020 season, the first-time manager is going to have to do something he has not done previously. He will now be getting involved in the process of filling out his coaching staff.

Reports swirled on Friday to varying degrees that Terry Collins might be a candidate to become the team’s bench coach, with Beltran having recommended him to the New York Yankees in 2017 when he was a candidate for their managerial opening later filled by Aaron Boone.

However, it is unclear exactly how the Mets’ front office feels about this idea and it begs the question, should a manager be given autonomy to hire their own coaches?

In my opinion, the answer is yes, but to a certain extent.

For an experienced manager like Joe Maddon with the Los Angeles Angels, giving them full autonomy on this decision makes sense given the number of connections they probably have with other coaches throughout the game. With someone like Maddon, who many hold in high regard, the team should trust that they have a strong vetting process when it comes to their coaching staff.

When it applies to a rookie manager like Beltran, the answer is a little murkier.

For someone like Beltran, I think that they should have significant say in the entire coaching staff, but only get to make one or two hires on their own.

What I mean by this is if there are established coaches like Phil Regan and Luis Rojas already on staff, those should be kept in place as they provide consistency for the players and provide experience to adjust to the learning curve for a first-time manager.

The one spot that I think that really needs to be decided by the manager, though, is the bench coach. Maybe, a team can limit the choices to a few names that they are comfortable with, but the manager should get to choose that person and anyone he would like to consider should be strongly considered by the front office.

The reason I say that is because a bench coach is the closest confidant for a first-time manager and it is someone they will be leaning on for advice as they learn the tricks-of-the-trade.

So, it would make sense for that person to be someone that the manager feels comfortable enough to go to for advice and has a strong, respectful relationship with.

If you just throw someone into the role that the manager doesn’t want to work with, you risk upsetting the chemistry of the coaching staff.

The team made a mistake with this when they hired Gary DiSarcina in 2018 to fill out Mickey Callaway’s coaching staff as it set up a dynamic where neither was experienced enough to handle the situation. More experience was definitely needed on that coaching staff which is what led to the hiring of Jim Riggleman for the 2019 season.

In the case of Terry Collins, the team should really consider allowing Beltran to hire him for that role if he so chooses.

Collins has the experience of managing the team in the past and as recently as in 2017, which means he has strong familiarity not only with managing in the National League, in New York, and with the Mets, but also with many of the players that Beltran is going to have to work with on a day-to-day basis.

While Collins was by no accounts the greatest manager in the world, he does have strong ties to the club and provides Beltran with comfort, with the second part being the most crucial aspect.

If Carlos Beltran truly feels like Terry Collins is the best person for the job and sees him as someone he could collaborate with, then the Mets should trust Beltran on that even if the optics of that look a little off-color.