If the New York Mets thought they weren’t going to see two of their former coaches any time soon, they’re in for a big surprise. Fired pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and former first base coach Antoan Richardson were quickly added to the staff of the Atlanta Braves by new Braves manager Walt Weiss, according to an AP report via ESPN. 

Losing Richardson is the much bigger deal in this announcement. He’s reportedly been behind the Mets’ efforts to add speed throughout their minor league system, and Richardson was considered directly responsible for the big jump in stolen bases from superstar Juan Soto this season. 

Richardson was also the outfield coordinator and base running instructor, and he helped the Mets lead the league in stolen base percentage at 89.1. His leaving wasn’t reported as a firing, with most account stating that he and the Mets were unable to come to terms, which raises the question of whether his salary demands were exorbitant or the team tried to low-ball him. 

Hefner’s move isn’t considered as serious, as he spent much of the second half of the season on the hot seat when the pitching staff fell apart. The pitching coach did lead the Mets staff to six All-Star selections and the sixth-best ERA in the league during his tenure at 4.02. 

With young starters Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong making the jump to the big leagues, though, the Mets clearly felt the need to go in a different direction. Justin Willard of the Boston Red Sox is rumored to be the front runner despite his lack of on-field experience, but the new hire hasn’t been announced to date. 

The Mets also haven’t started their offseason rebuild so far, but the initial coaching carousel likely represents the tip of the iceberg. The churn is intriguing, but the bullpen needs to be revamped, closer Edwin Diaz needs to be re-signed, and the rotation needs to be revamped or redefined so that the specific roles of McLean, Sproat and Tong become clear. 

Most of the rumor mill fodder currently revolves around a trade for Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal, along with speculation about where first baseman Pete Alonso will wind up now that he’s opted out of the second year of his two-year contract. As for the coaching changes, some will be important, but it’s hard to know which ones will matter the most with the offseason changes just getting underway.