According to Buster Olney of ESPN, long-time pitching coordinator Gil Patterson has interviewed for the Mets pitching coach opening.
Patterson, 64, has been the Oakland A’s minor league pitching coordinator for the past four seasons. He held a similar position with the Yankees the three seasons prior (2013-2015), there at the same time as Mets manager Carlos Beltran. He also held the same position in the A’s organization in 1996 and from 2009-2012.
The former first round pick was the Blue Jays bullpen coach in 2001 and their pitching coach for the next three seasons. He then went back to the Yankees to be a pitching coach in Triple-A. Patterson made his big league debut with the Yankees in 1977 and had his first coaching job with them in the minors. After just one season (1984) of being a minor league pitching in the Yankees system, he was fired for refusing to let prized prospect Al Leiter pitch with a sore arm.
Patterson and Leiter would reunite years later as Gil helped rework the lefties mechanics to avoid injury. Leiter is now a special advsior in the Mets front office.
Twins’ assistant pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, Michigan pitching coach Chris Fetter, and Brewers’ bullpen coach Steve Karsay are the other known candidates for the Mets opening.
