Yankees: Red Sox hitting coach twist could be coup of NYY’s offseason

Initially, we thought this was a longshot. A few days later, the New York Yankees‘ best offseason signing might not even be a star player.

Former Boston Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers, who rejected the team’s offer to return in 2022, is on the open market. However, reports surrounding the immediate news suggested he was likely heading to the college ranks, presumably to take a manager job.

Not so fast! We briefly speculated that perhaps the allure of the Yankees’ hitting coach job could be too good for Hyers to pass up.

Looks like we may have been onto something …

ESPN’s Buster Olney, who was all over the Hyers news earlier in the week when it broke, has now provided a follow-up, indicating that the 50-year-old is “among those being considered” for the same job with the Bombers.

Why is this notable? Well, have you seen the Red Sox’s offense since he took over?

Former Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers would be perfect for the Yankees.

Hyers’ arrival in Boston coincided with manager Alex Cora’s, so we’re obviously not giving Hyers all the credit for every bit of offensive success. However, he clearly played an influential role, and guys like Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, JD Martinez, Kiké Hernandez, Christian Vazquez and others have flourished under his watch. That can’t be a coincidence.

Look at where the Red Sox have ranked since 2018 in regard to offensive production. It’s unbelievable. It’s what the Yankees should have been.

It certainly helps having a top manager and an assortment of the game’s most fearsome hitters, but credit must be given when you’re tops in the game. Didn’t the Yankees have a lineup of mashers top to bottom? How’d that go?

At this point, we still don’t know why Hyers opted to leave. Was the offer bad? Was he sick of hearing the jokes about how JD Martinez was actually the team’s hitting coach? Was he aware the Red Sox won’t be overachieving in 2022 like they did this past season?

No clue. All we do know, though, is that if he joins the Yankees’ staff, on paper, it could be viewed as the coup of the offseason for the Bombers, who are in desperate need of competent assistant coaches around Aaron Boone after the struggles he seemingly had motivating this team and/or identifying root problems over the past two years.

Yankees need to be first in line to steal ex-Red Sox hitting coach

The New York Yankees need to steal ex-Boston Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers, who's on the market for some reason? Not sure why.