The Sean Casey era in New York is over less than four months after it began.
Speaking Wednesday on an episode of his podcast “The Mayor’s Office,” the ex-All-Star slugger Casey announced that he will not return as the Yankees hitting coach in 2024. Casey cited family reasons for the move, calling it “a tough decision.” He also said he informed the Yankees of the news before they could extend him a contract offer for next season (but added that he thinks he could have returned had he so desired).
Here is the full clip of Casey’s remarks.
My thoughts on not returning as the Yankees Hitting Coach. @Chinch4 pic.twitter.com/zhkhSCCyWi
— Sean Casey (@TheMayorsOffice) October 25, 2023
Casey, a three-time All-Star and Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer, was just hired by the Yankees as their new hitting coach in mid-July. The Yankees had fired Casey’s predecessor Dillon Lawson after a brutal first few months of the season in which the team hit a collective .231 (28th in Major League Baseball). Casey didn’t achieve any better results as the Yankees ended the year with an even worse team batting average of .227 (29th). But Casey was at least well-liked by the players and brought some good energy to the team.
The Yankees will now be in the market for a new hitting coach, their fourth since 2021. But as for Casey, he is still only 49 years old, so he might find himself back in an MLB dugout before long once the timing makes more sense for him.
