Geren reportedly to become Dodgers' bench coach

NEW YORK -- Bob Geren may have lost out on the Dodgers' managerial job, but he is reportedly heading to Los Angeles anyway. FOX Sports reported Wednesday that Geren will become the bench coach of new Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, leaving the bench-coach position he has held with the Mets since October 2011.

The Mets have not commented on the report.

Geren, 54, has served as the Mets' primary catching instructor as well as their bench coach for the past four seasons. His tenure coincided with an emphasis on analytics, as Geren is well-known for his use of advanced metrics as evaluative tools. Previously, Geren managed the A's from 2007-11, and the San Diego native still keeps his home outside Oakland. For Geren, then, a move to Los Angeles is a move far closer to home.

The Mets asked manager Terry Collins' entire coaching staff to return following their World Series run this October, but Geren interviewed for the manager's job that ultimately went to Roberts, before reportedly accepting L.A.'s bench-coach position. It is expected that the Mets' six other big league coaches will all return.

Perhaps the most obvious internal candidate to replace Geren on the Mets' staff is Double-A Binghamton manager Pedro Lopez, a former catcher who was the 2013 Eastern League Manager of the Year. The Mets could alternatively promote one of their other coaches -- such as third-base coach Tim Teufel -- to bench coach, or interview external candidates.

The club has passed over another obvious candidate, Triple-A Las Vegas manager Wally Backman, for big league promotions in the past.