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Mets to Offer Frank Viola a New Contract

By John Sheridan

September 22, 2016 4 Comments

Frank Viola

When AAA manager Wally Backman leaving the Mets organization about a week ago, one of the issues that had been leaked to the press was Backman’s handling of Mets prospects.  Apparently, the Mets do not have the same issues with AAA pitching coach Frank Viola.

According to ESPN’s Adam Rubin, the Mets are going to offer Viola a contract to remain as the AAA pitching coach.  Viola was first brought to the Mets organization in 2011 to serve as the Brooklyn Cyclones pitching coach.  He has worked his way through the Mets farm system, and he has been the Las Vegas 51s pitching coach since 2014.

Part of the reason the Mets want to bring him back for a fourth season is the pitchers who pass through AAA rave about him.  It also helps his case that the Mets young pitching have helped save the Mets season.

Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman were unexpectedly thrown into the Mets rotation with the Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Steven Matz injuries.  Lugo and Gsellman have done more than hold their own.  They have thrived.  Additionally, Josh Smoker has pitched well out of the Mets bullpen striking out 15.3 batters per nine innings.  Just this past week, Gabriel Ynoa did an admirable job making a spot start.  Credit for much of this goes to the work Viola has done with these pitchers in AAA.

Considering that Viola retweeted Adam Rubin’s tweet about the contract offer, there is hope Viola will be able to return to the Mets organization.

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