Yankees fire hit Dillon Lawson, narrow search on two: Source

The Yankees announced the firing of hitting coach Dillon Lawson, Sunday. Here’s what you need to know:

• The Yankees have narrowed their search to replace Lawson to two people, and a decision on the transfer could be made as early as Monday, according to a person familiar with Yankees personnel decisions. the athlete. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because this person is not authorized to speak publicly.
• “Ultimately, it’s not coming from the inside and obviously I want someone to be in place by the time we open in Colorado,” New York general manager Brian Cashman told reporters Sunday.
• This marked the first time in Cashman’s tenure that the Yankees had fired a coach during the season. Cashman has been the general manager since 1998.
• Lawson, 38, was appointed to replace Head coach Marcus Thames struck out before the 2021 season.

the athleteInstant Analysis:

Why did the Yankees take this step?

In the end, Lawson ran out of time to prove he could get around the Yankees’ underperforming star offense. After losing Sunday 7-4 to the Cubs to end the first half of the season, the Yankees were only 18th in the league in scoring with 400 goals. It was the worst total in the American League East. The Yankees also rank 21st in the majors in OPS at .710.

Before hiring Lawson as The hitting coach, he was The Yankees’ minor league hitting coordinator praised the team for breaking through many of their prospects. But the failure of several big bats to spot from the plate likely got Lawson fired. Going into the All-Star break, DJ LeMahieu had a 0.642 OPS. Giancarlo Stanton was at just . 702. None of the regulars had an OPS higher than . 800 other than Aaron Judge. – cutie

Offensive Struggles in New York

The Yankees offense wasn’t just having a judge out of the lineup. Even before Judge tore a ligament in his right big toe, the Yankees ranked 25th in on-base percentage and 22nd in batting average. The Yankees weren’t on base enough and doing damage when there were runners. This issue has escalated to an even higher degree in the past month since the judge injured himself. But perhaps the most pressing thing about Lawson’s career situation is Yankees rookie Anthony Volpe, who told reporters last month that he watched a movie with prospect Austin Wells and saw how much more closed off his position was than he was doing to start his season. After this film session with Wells, Volpe had a change of heart and was a completely different hitter and was one of the best hitters on the team over that stretch. – Kirchner

What did Cashman say?

“It has been documented that I have been reluctant in the past to make changes to our coaching staff in the middle of the season,” Cashman said in a press release. I am a firm believer that successes and failures are a team effort. Ultimately, however, I felt a change was needed and that a new voice overseeing our batting operations would give us the best chance of performing closer to our abilities as we move into the second half of our season.

“I want (to) thank Dillon for all his efforts. He has a bright baseball mind that will go on to lead a long and productive baseball career.”

Speaking with reporters following news of the decision to part ways with Lawson on Sunday, Cashman said, “I was never ready to make a decision like that, but with careful consideration, I decided as we go forward and we have a sprint in the second half that I felt was necessary.”

“Our offense fought really hard, more so than I can remember,” said Cashman. “The squad we have – in fairness to Dillon – we’ve had some injuries, without a doubt. Collectively, we’ve really struggled. I feel like we’d better serve kind of shake things up as we go into the second half here.

“Obviously, once the second half starts, we have a short window to try to bring back all of our abilities, including good health. I feel like finding someone else to fill that higher seat on the offensive side is going to be in our best interest because I’m problem-solving our whole process, not Just the players because the trade deadline is coming up but also the coaching staff.”

Cashman said he did not consult with the players about the change.

“I’ve never asked any of our players that question, but certainly, as general manager, I’m involved with our players and their day-to-day activities. But I’ve never asked any of our players if I should fire any of our coaches,” he said. “I never will. Don’t put them in this position. I feel like I can see the landscape for myself and make those decisions, in this particular case, with my manager.

“Obviously we have a lot of people with opinions. Ultimately, the chair I’m sitting in – to share all the info with our owner, and then make a recommendation on a lot of the opinions I come my way. That’s what I did. I just try to stay in touch on all sides.” And then when I feel like what’s blowing in the wind is real enough that it makes me act, that’s why we’re here today.”

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(Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images)