The Yankees’ search to rebuild their coaching staff for the 2027 MLB season has reportedly led them back to the Dodgers again.
According to reporting from the New York Post’s Greg Joyce, New York has spoken with former Dodgers co-hitting coach Aaron Bates multiple times as it weighs candidates for its vacant hitting coach job. The Yankees are looking to replace James Rowson, who is leaving to become the San Francisco Giants’ offensive coordinator.
Bates has emerged as a real option after spending the past eight years on the Dodgers’ major league coaching staff. He worked his way up from assistant hitting coach and was part of the organization for 12 years overall, including his time as a minor league coach.
His exit from Los Angeles came after the two sides could not agree on a new contract. The Dodgers wanted to keep him, but the talks never produced a deal.
If the Yankees land Bates, they’d be adding a coach with a long track record inside one of baseball’s most productive offensive setups. During his four seasons as co-hitting coach, the Dodgers stayed near the top of the league in runs scored. In 2026, Los Angeles finished fourth in MLB with 801 runs, third in batting average at .257 and second in OPS at .762.
New York’s interest in Bates comes during a rough stretch of staff turnover. Brad Ausmus is taking over as the Astros’ manager, Tanner Swanson is joining the Mariners as bench coach, and Rowson is headed to San Francisco. Bates is now one of the names in the mix as the Yankees try to fill another opening.
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David Vassegh has said the Dodgers may be willing to explore deals involving players such as Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta and Michael King as the uncertainty around the new collective bargaining agreement lingers. If Pena becomes a real target, it would also create another layer to the Dodgers infield plans, since Mookie Betts could be shifted to second base to make the fit work. [Read more 🡒]