According to Jim Duquette on Twitter, the Orioles are considering former Met player and coach Frank Viola to be their new pitching coach.
Viola was hired by the Mets in 2011 to be the Brooklyn Cyclones pitching coach. Then, in 2012 and 2013, he was the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats pitching coach. After winning Coach of the Year in 2013, Viola was named the pitching coach for the AAA Las Vegas 51s.
During a 2014 spring training physical, Viola was unfortunately diagnosed with a heart condition that required open-heart surgery. He has since recovered completely.
As a pitcher, Viola had a standout career. The three-time All Star won a Cy Young award in 1988 with the Twins, going 24-7 with a 2.64 ERA. He was traded to the Mets during the 1989 season, playing in New York until 1991.
In two and a half years with the Mets, he was an All Star twice and finished 3rd in Cy Young voting in 1990 when he went 20-12 with a 2.67 ERA. He retired as a player in 1996.
He has a great reputation as a player and a coach, and would certainly make a great addition to the Orioles staff who, with the exception of Zach Britton, could use the help.
The Orioles are also considering former Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell, Orioles minor league coach Alan Mills, and Cardinals minor league coach Tim Leveque.
