The New York Yankees are in touch with former Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates, per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.
Bates left the organization Nov. 6, and has since been replaced by the Miami Marlins’ Pedro Guerrero.
Why Are the Yankees After Aaron Bates?
The Yankees are also without their hitting coach, James Rowson—who formerly held the position—moved on to join the San Francisco Giants as their offensive coordinator with the impending expiration of his contract.
Rowson coached the Yankees to consecutive years with the league’s best offense in 2024 and 2025, but a downturn in 2026 turned his relationship with the team sour.
The Yankees have more than one vacancy in their coaching staff, as bench coach Brad Ausmus also left his role to become the Houston Astros’ manager.
Bates is perfectly capable of heading the Yankees’ offense, especially given his track record with the Dodgers.
Why Did the Dodgers and Aaron Bates Part Ways?
Bates and the Dodgers parted ways earlier in the offseason after contract negotiations between the two parties stalled. According to Bates, the Dodgers offered an uncompetitive, multi-year contract to him, which he rejected.
He did not receive a follow-up offer, and they parted ways.
“Basically, they said, ‘I think we should go our separate ways,” Bates told The LA Times. “I was just very taken aback, in a sense, by that.”
The Dodgers’ offense stagnated towards the end of the 2026 season, ranking ninth in MLB with a 105 wRC+ after Aug. 1 despite leading the league with a mark of 113 prior to that date.
Despite his sudden departure, Bates holds no ill will towards the Dodgers, though he regrets how the end of his tenure in Los Angeles came about.
“Processing it, I think that there’s always a time and a place, and I think that things run their course,” Bates said to Lee. “But I have nothing but amazing things to say about the Dodgers organization and people.
“My kids grew up Dodgers, and I grew up a Dodger, as a coach. It’s just unfortunate the way it’s worked out towards these last few days.”
Whether or not the Yankees decide to bring Bates on isn’t clear, but he is clearly a top candidate for the position.
