This season had not gone as planned for the New York Mets and their fan base. While holding the best record across Major League Baseball in June, they collapsed during the stretch to miss the postseason.
With the season viewed as a failure, the club was quick to make some coaching decisions. They fired pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes, and third base coach Mike Sarbaugh.
Bench coach Josh Gibbons will also not return next season as he recently resigned. However, manager Carlos Mendoza will return to his role next season.
Eric Chavez breaks silence after Mets dismissed him as their hitting coach
Not too many clubs have co-hitting coaches. It makes it harder for both coaches to be on the same page, and could lead to some confusion and frustration.
Working with somebody else who holds the same position was something Eric Chaves had to get used to. After being let go on Friday, he was able to speak his mind on the situation freely, via The Athletic's Tim Britton and Will Sammon.
"You cannot have two co-hitting coaches, two voices. Ultimately, one person needs to have the voice. ... Jeremy and I made it work. We had a good working relationship, but it definitely was not ideal."
After spending two seasons alongside Barnes, he understands how difficult it can be. He believes it would be best for the Mets to employ one person at the position as they look to improve for the 2026 season.