The Los Angeles Dodgers are parting ways with hitting coach Aaron Bates, a stunning development after president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman stated there would be no changes.
An unexpected Dodgers shake-up
Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors broke the news first, and Jack Harris of the California Post and Katie Woo of The Athletic have since confirmed it.
Friedman, in his end-of-season press conference, was asked about any possible coaching changes, especially on the hitting side, after the bats went cold in October for a second year straight.
“I expect status quo,” Friedman said to Dodgers Nation and the media. “Still working through things, but expect status quo.”
At this point, it is hard to know whether the change came strictly from contract negotiations or if performance factored in.
Dierkes reported that the Dodgers made a multi-year offer to keep Bates, but they could not reach an agreement.
Given the Dodgers’ willingness to spend on key organizational hires and positions, it is hard to see the talks coming down to just money.
Overall, the Dodgers’ offense since 2023 has produced well, ranking high in season-long production, but with a massive talent pool and big payroll, fans have been frustrated by some of the postseason output.
Aaron Bates’ history with the Dodgers
Bates has been with the Dodgers since 2015, when he retired to join the Dodgers’ Arizona League affiliate as an assistant coach.
He was then elevated to hitting coach for the Single-A Great Lakes Loons in 2017, then a minor league coordinator in 2018 before moving up to the major leagues as an assistant hitting coach in 2019.
Bates earned his current title as co-hitting coach in 2023, a role he has held since, working alongside the other hitting coach, Robert Van Scoyoc.
It is unclear whether Van Scoyoc will depart or remain as the main hitting coach, or whether the Dodgers will hire someone else to serve as a voice alongside Van Scoyoc.
One Response
With the team supposedly looking for youth, aggressive base running, and contact at-bats, they need a couple of coaches who can teach fundamentals like bunting, hit-and-run, and base stealing. You play the cards you are dealt and it’s probably not Bates’ fault that the Dodgers have relied on long-ball given their core player make-up, but it’s time to soften that approach and mix-up the profile as the Brewers showed us.