Although the Los Angeles Dodgers had multiple personnel interviewed by other teams, the expectation has been their entire coaching staff would return for the 2022 season.
Now, their plans might be changing.
Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren and first base coach Clayton McCullough were both interviewed by the New York Mets for their vacant managerial job, however, neither was a finalist for the position that ultimately went to longtime Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter.
Although he didn’t get the manager job, McCullough left the Mets’ management impressed and they could look to hire him as their bench coach, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post:
Team officials were also impressed with Dodgers first-base coach Clayton McCullough, who interviewed for the managerial opening that went to Showalter, and could look to hire him as bench coach.
McCullough spent the 2021 season as the Dodgers’ first base coach after replacing George Lombard, who became the Detroit Tigers’ bench coach.
McCullough has been with the Dodgers since 2015, serving as their Minor League field coordinator and helping oversee their alternate training site at USC during the 2020 season.
Before he joined the Dodgers, McCullough worked in the Toronto Blue Jays organization from 2006-2014, managing four of their Minor League affiliates through the 2013 season. He went 629-559 during that span.
McCullough could follow Dodgers Minor League coaches
While the Dodgers have yet to lose a coach off their Major League staff, they did lose two Minor League coaches.
The first was David Popkins, who worked as the High-A Great Lakes Loons hitting coach before getting hired by the Minnesota Twins.
Popkins will serve as the Twins’ Major League hitting coach, making the jump from High-A to MLB.
The second is Triple-A Oklahoma City’s bench coach Bill Haselman, who was hired by the L.A. Angels. Haselman will serve as the Angels’ catching instructor after working in the Dodgers’ organization since 2014.
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