Former Mets coaches Jeremy Hefner and Antoan Richardson join Atlanta
Mets first base coach Antoan Richardson blows a bubble during the fourth inning of a game against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 23 in Chicago. Credit: AP/Erin Hooley
The Mets wanted to keep their first-base coach. Their first-base coach wanted to stay. But now, after negotiations fell apart, Antoan Richardson is going to a National League rival.
Atlanta Wednesday announced that they hired Richardson, whose contract with the Mets just expired, to be their first-base coach, along with former Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, who was relieved of his duties during last month’s purge.
Richardson, highly lauded for the team’s prolific success at stealing bases this year, denied an SNY report saying he had no interest in returning. Instead, it came down to salary.
“I was very interested in returning to the Mets, but during the negotiation process, we weren’t fully aligned on how we viewed my value,” Richardson said via text. “I have great respect for their process and the conversations we had. Once I was allowed to speak with other teams, I remained open to a return to Queens until the end, while also focusing on finding an opportunity that was more in line with what I was looking for. After connecting with several teams about different roles, ranging from bench coach to first base coach, Atlanta proved to be the right fit. I’m genuinely excited about this next chapter in Atlanta and look forward to contributing in a positive way.”
When asked to clarify, Richardson added that he intended value as far as “salary compensation with benefits” — not role or length of contract.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While first-base coaches generally don’t garner this much attention, Richardson was routinely lauded by players and manager Carlos Mendoza for his contributions, and was partially credited with Juan Soto’s improvement on the basepaths. Soto stole a career-high 38 bases last season (his previous high was 12), putting him two bases shy of the 40-40 club — a group of only six players.
The Mets have now had three coaches depart for rivals: Hefner, Richardson, and assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel, who returned to the Yankees earlier this month.
Atlanta’s hirings also add a new wrinkle to a Mets team still reeling from one of the biggest collapses in franchise history. After failing to make the playoffs, the Mets parted ways with their pitching, bench, hitting, third-base and catching coaches. So far, they’ve hired Kai Correa as bench coach, Jeff Albert as director of hitting and Troy Snitker as hitting coach.
Hefner has served as Mets’ pitching coach since 2020. Richardson joined the organization in 2024.
Spring training schedule released
The Mets Wednesday released their spring training schedule, which kicks off on Feb. 21 with a game against the Marlins at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie. They’ll play 15 of their 29 games at home, and host the Yankees on March 8. They’ll also play six games apiece against the Marlins, Astros and Cardinals. The Spring Breakout game, which showcases the organization’s top minor leaguers, will be against the Rays on March 19 at Clover Park.
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
