Mets promote Scott to bench coach

NEW YORK -- The Mets wasted little time in replacing Bob Geren as their bench coach, announcing Wednesday that they have promoted director of player development Dick Scott to manager Terry Collins' staff. Geren left the organization last month to become Dave Roberts' bench coach with the Dodgers.

Scott, 53, has served as the Mets' director of player development since 2013, originally joining the organization two years earlier to succeed Collins as Minor League field coordinator. Prior to that, Scott held player-development jobs with the Astros and Blue Jays, forging a decades-long relationship with Mets special assistant to the general manager J.P. Ricciardi.

This is Scott's first job on a big league coaching staff.

Unlike Geren, a former big league catcher, Scott has no catching experience. That leaves the staff without a full-time catching coach to complement infield instructor Tim Teufel and outfield instructor Tom Goodwin. But Mets officials have noted that the team can fly others in the organization to New York from time to time, such as Minor League catching coordinator Bob Natal.

The Mets only interviewed internal candidates for their bench-coach vacancy, with Teufel among the small group they considered. The team's other big league staff members -- Teufel, Goodwin, pitching coach Dan Warthen, bullpen coach Ricky Bones and hitting coaches Kevin Long and Pat Roessler -- are all due to return.