The New York Mets have announced Chad Kreuter will become the 17th manager in the history of the St. Lucie Mets. St. Lucie is the Mets High-A affiliate that plays in the Florida State League.
Kreuter said this in a team press release, ”It is an honor to be named a manager in professional baseball. The Mets are a great organization. They have shown the ability to produce great homegrown talent. It looks like it will continue that way so to be able to manage one of their young teams is really exciting.”
Kreuter takes the reigns from former St. Lucie manager Luis Rojas. Rojas had been promoted to Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies as part of the organizational managerial reshuffling that transpired once Wally Backman resigned as the manager of Triple-A Las Vegas 51s.
Kreuter’s previous managerial experience came with the USC Trojans. While there, Kreuter managed current Mets first baseman Lucas Duda. During Kreuter’s stint as manager of the Trojans, he compiled a 111-117 record. In 2011, after his five year stint with the Trojans, Kreuter served as the minor league field coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Joining Kreuter on the St. Lucie staff will be pitching coach Marc Valdes. This will be Valdes’ second season with St. Lucie and his eighth season in the Mets farm system as a pitching coach. His previously served as the pitching coach for Kingsport Mets (2007 – 2008), Binghamton Mets (2011), and Brooklyn Cyclones (2012 – 2013).
Former Met Val Pascucci returns for his second season as the St. Lucie hitting coach. Before St. Lucie, Pascucci served as the hitting coach for Savannah Sand Gnats.
Matt Hunter returns for his fourth consecutive season as the athletic trainer for St. Lucie and his 13th season overall in the Mets farm system.
Like Kreuter, this will be the first season for Alex Tavarez as St. Lucie’s strength and conditioning coach. Tavarez was previously the strength and conditioning coach for Kingsport (2014 – 2015) and Columbia Fireflies (2016).
St. Lucie has created a new position, mental skills coach, which will be Sabrina Gomez.
