The Yankees’ coaching search is already taking shape, and the early names point to a familiar kind of fix: a new voice for the bats and a proven hand in the dugout.
Aaron Bates and Joe Dillon have already interviewed for the hitting coach opening, according to a longtime MLB official who spoke to NJ.com. That job became vacant when James Rowson was hired Wednesday as the San Francisco Giants’ offensive coordinator.
The bench coach spot opened the same day, after Brad Ausmus was hired to manage the Astros. On that front, recently fired Houston manager Joe Espada has emerged as a frontrunner, the source said.
Dillon, 51, spent 2019-21 as the Phillies’ hitting coach. He also held the same role this year with the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate and was the Nationals’ assistant hitting coach in 2018.
Bates, 42, worked in the Dodgers’ organization from 2015 to 2026, serving as a hitting coach in the minors and majors. He was Los Angeles’ assistant hitting coach from 2019-22 and then its co-hitting coach from 2023-26.
Espada, 51, has a Yankees connection of his own. He was the club’s third base coach from 2015-17, during Joe Girardi’s final three seasons as manager. He later managed the Astros to a 256-229 record and two American League West titles from 2024-26.
Rowson’s exit was hardly a shock. Owner Hal Steinbrenner had already pointed to the offense as a reason the Yankees fell short of the AL East and were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.
And it wasn’t just about Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton missing more than half the games. The Yankees’ lineup sputtered in other spots, too, with catcher Austin Wells, third baseman Ryan McMahon, second baseman Jazz Chisholm and center fielder Trent Grisham all turning in poor seasons at the plate.
In Other News...
Yankees May Finally Have Their Opening To Land Adrian Morejon
Adrian Morejon has been on the Yankees radar for a while, and the fit still makes sense as the club looks for left-handed relief help. The free-agent market has drawn interest from multiple teams, but Morejons stated preference to stay in the bullpen lines up neatly with what New York is trying to address.
For the Yankees, that matters because the conversation around Morejon has lingered through past trade rumors without ever turning into a deal. Now that he is available as a free agent, the path looks more straightforward, even if there is still competition to sort through before anything gets done. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Infield Plans May Hinge On One Polarizing Free Agent
The Yankees have been linked to another infield option as they continue to sort through their roster needs, with Jon Heyman of The New York Post reporting interest in free agent Alec Bohm. A former Phillies third baseman, Bohm brings corner-infield versatility, and that alone makes him a logical name to surface for a club still looking for ways to stabilize the dirt infield.
What makes Bohm such an intriguing fit is also what makes him a polarizing one. His recent seasons have featured uneven production on both sides of the ball, so any move would come with some risk as well as the possibility of a useful everyday bat and a flexible glove. For now, the Yankees are only in the considering stage, but the fact that Bohm is on their radar says plenty about how open-ended their infield picture remains. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Just Clarified A Stanton Decision That Changes Their Lineup Picture
At the GM meetings, Brian Cashman gave the Yankees a useful dose of clarity on a few fronts as the offseason starts to take shape. Max Fried has already had surgery and is expected to be ready for spring training, while Aaron Judge will not need surgery for the rib injury that bothered him late in the year. The club also made a coaching move by promoting Aaron Gershenfeld to catcher coach, adding another piece to the staff picture.
The bigger roster note, though, was Giancarlo Stanton. Cashman confirmed Stanton will remain with the Yankees next season, a decision that matters because of both his injury history and the way his presence affects the lineup construction around Judge and the rest of the order. The coaching staff is still not fully settled, either, with decisions on hitting coach James Rowson and bench coach Brad Ausmus still pending, so the Yankees are leaving the meetings with some answers and a few important questions still hanging. [Read more 🡒]