Mets overhaul coaching staff after missing playoffs, Mendoza returns

The New York Mets announced a sweeping overhaul of their major league coaching staff Friday, dismissing several key coaches and accepting the retirement or resignation of others after the team finished 83-79 and missed the playoffs by one game. Manager Carlos Mendoza will return for 2026, the team said, but pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, hitting coaches Jeremy Barnes and Eric Chavez, and third base coach Mike Sarbaugh were relieved of their duties. Bench coach John Gibbons resigned and catching instructor Glenn Sherlock announced his retirement.

The club confirmed that assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel and bullpen coach José Rosado have been given permission to speak to other teams. First base coach Antoan Richardson, strategy coach Danny Barnes and coaching assistant Rafael Fernandez were retained. President of baseball operations David Stearns had indicated at the end of the season that Mendoza would remain while the rest of the staff was evaluated.

Sherlock, 65, who served as the Mets catching instructor the past three seasons after coaching as the bench coach in 2022 and as a first- and third-base coach from 2017 to 2019, issued a brief statement in a text message: "I...