Rangers hire Hyers as hitting coach, per reports

The Texas Rangers have hired Tim Hyers as their new hitting coach, per multiple reports.

If the name sounds familiar, it may be because earlier this week we wrote about Hyers choosing to leave the Boston Red Sox, where he had been the team’s hitting coach since 2018, despite Boston offering to bring him back for 2022. We noted at the time that Hyers hitting the market was noteworthy because 1) he was a well respected hitting coach who was now available at a time when the Rangers were looking for a hitting coach, and 2) Hyers was the assistant hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2016-17, when Rangers manager Chris Woodward was the Dodgers’ third base coach.

Hyers was expected to be in demand, and the Yankees were reportedly considering him for their open hitting coach position. While it may be that Hyers and Woodward are especially tight, and Hyers is ride or die with Woody, I think it is more likely that the decision to leave a high payroll playoff team and join a team that lost 102 games in 2021 was motivated by money. Just speculation on my part, but I’d guess the Rangers moneywhipped him to come to Texas.

I don’t feel qualified to evaluate the job coaches do, and so I don’t have meaningful opinions about whether they should be hired, fired, or whathaveyou. That said, if you are one of those who wants to see the Rangers poach guys from well run organizations, Hyers has been with either the Red Sox or Dodgers from 2009 until earlier this week.