Mets interviewing Cubs' John Mallee for coaching staff role, per MLB.com

What happened

The New York Mets have interviewed Chicago Cubs coach John Mallee for a role on their coaching staff, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reported. No formal announcement has been made, and the specific role Mallee is being considered for has not been detailed in DiComo's report.

The interview is a credible development, though the outcome remains unconfirmed. The Mets are evaluating candidates as they look to reshape their hitting infrastructure, and Mallee — currently with the Cubs — is one of the names in that process.

Why it matters

Mallee is not the only candidate under consideration. A day before the Mallee report surfaced, the New York Post reported that the Mets were also set to interview Kevin Long for a director of hitting role, with Long's relationship with Juan Soto cited as a selling point. The two interviews suggest the Mets may be considering a layered hitting staff structure — potentially with distinct roles at different levels of the organization — though the club has not announced any such framework.

What is clear is that the Mets are treating this search seriously. Mallee's inclusion signals the club is looking beyond its existing network, and the parallel candidacy of Long suggests the front office is weighing more than one model for how to organize offensive instruction going forward. Jeff Albert's departure created the opening that set this search in motion, per reporting from the New York Post.

Is this the only candidate being considered?

No. Per the New York Post, Kevin Long was also being interviewed for a director of hitting role around the same time. The Mets appear to be running a genuine search process rather than a formality, with at least two candidates under consideration for what may be one or more positions on the hitting staff. No hire has been announced.

Where the club stands

The Mets finished the season at 74-88 (.457), placing fifth in the NL East, 20 games back of the division leader. They were eliminated from both the division race and the Wild Card race, and carry a one-game losing streak into the offseason. Their Wild Card ranking came in at 10th, sitting 14.0 games relative to the cut line.

That record provides the organizational context for why this search carries real weight. A club that finished fifth in its division and 20 games back is not making cosmetic adjustments. The people the Mets put in charge of offensive instruction will carry meaningful responsibility for how quickly — or slowly — the gap between where this roster is and where it needs to be begins to close.

The offseason is already in motion on multiple fronts. About a week before the Mallee interview was reported, five players elected minor league free agency after outrights, including Vidal Bruján, who departed after being outrighted off the Mets' 40-man roster. The roster is being reshaped at the same time the coaching staff is being reconsidered — a parallel process that is fairly standard for a club entering a significant offseason, but one that underscores the scale of the work ahead.

Under general league mechanics, a player outrighted off the 40-man roster who elects minor league free agency is free to sign with any club. The Mets' 40-man picture will continue to evolve as the offseason progresses and the front office makes additional decisions about roster construction.

What we don't know yet

The specific role Mallee is being considered for has not been reported. It is not known whether the Mets are looking to hire a traditional hitting coach, a director of hitting, or some combination of both — and whether Mallee and Long are competing for the same position or being evaluated for different ones entirely.

No timetable has been reported for when the Mets expect to make a decision, and no offer has been announced. The interview is reported; the outcome is not. The Cubs have not commented publicly on the Mets' interest in Mallee, and the nature of his current contractual situation with Chicago has not been detailed in the available reporting.

The broader structure of the Mets' hitting staff — how many roles they intend to fill, and at what level — also remains unannounced. The front office may be building toward a single hire or a more comprehensive reorganization. The reporting so far does not resolve that question.

What to watch

The Mallee and Long interviews are the two data points currently on the board. If the Mets move toward a hire — or announce a broader restructuring of the hitting staff — that will be the next meaningful development to track.

Long's reported selling point involves his relationship with a specific player, while Mallee brings an established track record from a competing organization. The shape of whatever structure the Mets ultimately build will say something about their offensive priorities heading into the next season — whether they prioritize continuity, external expertise, or some combination of both.

The 74-88 record is the number that frames everything else. A club that finished fifth in its division and 20 games back is not tinkering at the margins, and the front office appears to understand that, given the breadth of the search it is currently running. The people installed to develop and guide hitters this winter will be working with a roster that needs meaningful improvement, and the decisions made now will set the tone for what comes next.

Anthony DiComo's report at MLB.com remains the primary sourcing here. Further developments, when they come, will clarify both the structure of the role and who fills it.