Boone has new pitching coach, bench coach

NEW YORK -- Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed on Monday that the Yankees have hired Matt Blake as their new pitching coach, while permitting bench coach Josh Bard to seek opportunities closer to his Colorado home, a request that Bard had apparently presented during this past season.

Carlos Mendoza will take over as manager Aaron Boone's bench coach, with Tanner Swanson joining the organization to serve as quality control and catching coach. Cashman also added that Jason Brown, who had served as catching coach, will not return.

Mendoza, 39, has been coaching in the Yankees organization for 11 years. He had been the team’s Major League quality control and infield coach since the start of the 2018 season, his first job as a Major League coach. Before that, he held different Minor League coaching roles within the organization, including managing the Gulf Coast League Yankees in 2011. He also managed the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League in 2012 and 2016.

Mendoza played in the Minors from 1997-2009 but never made it to the Majors, playing in the Giants and Yankees organizations.

First-base coach Reggie Willits, third-base coach Phil Nevin, bullpen coach Mike Harkey and hitting coach Marcus Thames are all expected to return, Cashman said.