Cleveland Indians: Who could replace Mickey Callaway as pitching coach?

The Cleveland Indians have several options to fill their pitching coach vacancy now that Mickey Callaway has left to manage the New York Mets.

The Cleveland Indians are in need of a new pitching coach after Mickey Callaway left to manage the New York Mets. Losing Callaway was something Indians fans have had to worry about for a while now and this offseason it seemed like it was a foregone conclusion it would finally happen.

He oversaw some of the best pitching staffs in franchise history, especially in 2017 when the Indians had a historic year, which included records for highest WAR by a pitching staff and most strikeouts by a staff.

Needless to say, Callaway is a big loss for the Indians and will surely be missed. He was instrumental in turning around Carlos Carrasco and I’m sure he had a hand in Corey Kluber‘s rise to stardom.

Thankfully for the Indians though, there are several options at their disposal to replace Callaway and help keep the pitching train moving.

The Indians have options both internally and externally. Some are very well-known while others may be new names for fans. There are even some longshots that one can’t rule out, including a former Indians fan favorite pitcher.

Here’s a look at those options and how likely they are at joining the Tribe’s coaching staff.

The Internal Options

Ruben Niebla – Cleveland Indians minor league pitching coordinator

There are a couple internal options the Cleveland Indians could turn to but for me, the best candidate is Ruben Niebla. He is currently the minor league pitching coordinator with the Cleveland Indians.

He works with pitchers at all levels of the minor leagues, from Rookie Ball through Triple-A. There isn’t a pitcher in the system he hasn’t seen and that could help over the coming years as the young guys start breaking into the big leagues.

Niebla was formerly a pitching coach at multiple levels in the Indians system, notably Triple-A Columbus in 2011 and 2012 where he worked with guys like Corey Kluber and Cody Allen. Niebla was also the Indians’ interim pitching coach at the major league level back in 2012 for two months after they fired Scott Radinsky in early August. Callaway eventually replaced him when Francona was hired.

Niebla is my number one choice and it’s not even close, and while I’m sure the Indians don’t have him quite as far ahead as I do, I’d bet he’s pretty high up the list, possibly even at the top. And if his Twitter account is any indication, sounds like he could already be in Cleveland for an interview.

Jason Bere – Cleveland Indians bullpen coach

Perhaps the Indians’ replacement for Callaway is already on the big league coaching staff. Former big league pitcher Jason Bere has been the team’s bullpen coach for the past couple years, replacing Kevin Cash after he left to manage the Tampa Bay Rays. Bere is probably the option most familiar with the pitchers on the big league roster, which could play to his advantage.

Bere also spent nearly a decade in the Tribe’s front office, working as a special assistant, something we saw John Farrell do before he left to take the Red Sox pitching coach job and eventually the managerial role. He’d be my second choice behind Niebla and could be the front-runner since he’s already on the staff.

Steve Karsay – Columbus Clippers pitching coach

Steve Karsay spent 2017 as the Tribe’s Triple-A pitching coach. He of course also pitched for the Indians over a decade ago and had a solid big league career as a starter and reliever. Karsay joined the Indians coaching ranks back in 2012 when he was the rookie affiliate’s pitching coach.

He may not have the experience the Indians are looking for but he’s an option should the Indians stay in the organization. He could be an option for a bullpen coach as well if Bere gets the pitching coach job.

The External Options

John Farrell – former Boston Red Sox manager

Probably the most popular name out there is former Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell. He is available after being fired following the Red Sox’s early exit from the playoffs.

He has a long-standing relationship with Indians manager Terry Francona, serving as his pitching coach in Boston. Farrell also had a role with the Indians front office before jumping into the coaching ranks.

I’m not as high on his as a choice as others seem to be though. He would not be a bad choice by any means, but he had a cancer scare recently and I could see him taking a year off or taking a front office role. I’m not sure he’s the type to jump right into another coaching role though you never know.

I would put the odds of him joining the Indians very high, though my money would be on a role in the front office again, not as the pitching coach.

Chris Bosio – former Chicago Cubs pitching coach

Many were shocked when the Chicago Cubs announced they had fired pitching coach Chris Bosio after they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. He served as pitching coach with the Cubs since 2012 and helped turn around such pitchers as Jake Arrieta. However, he was the sacrificial lamb of sorts after a disappointing year in Chicago and it could be the Indians’ gain.

Bosio figures to be a hot commodity for teams looking for a pitching coach and there isn’t a better opening than the one in Cleveland. If he is willing to jump back into the coaching ranks right away, he could be a big time add for the Cleveland Indians.

Carl Willis – current Boston Red Sox pitching coach

Carl Willis is a name Tribe fans should recognize rather well. Not only is he the Red Sox pitching coach but he was formerly the Tribe’s pitching coach, most notably in 2007 and 2008 when the Indians had back-to-back Cy Young winners in CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. He was also the Columbus Clippers pitching coach in 2015, so he has experience with some of the current Indians as well.

He likely would not take a lateral move to Cleveland; however, Alex Cora, the new Red Sox manager, could decide to go a different route with his coaching staff. If Willis hits the open market he could jump to the top of the Tribe’s list.

The Longshots

Charles Nagy – current Los Angeles Angels pitching coach

This is a name I’ve seen thrown around a lot online and while I understand why, it makes little sense to me. I love Charles Nagy and would love to see him back in Cleveland as a coach. He worked as both a coach and front office guy in Cleveland in the past so on that front he makes sense.

However, I just can’t see the Angels letting Nagy go for a lateral move. Teams almost never allow this and with the Angels looking to make the playoffs it is even less likely. He did a great job with Angels pitching staff in 2017, possibly the best pitching coach work we saw in 2017. The Angels will do everything to keep him. Well, at least they should.

Bruce Chen – Cleveland Indians Cultural Development

This one is admittingly a long shot but as a former big league starter, one can’t help but at least include Bruce Chen. He pitched ever so briefly with the Indians a couple years ago and has joined the organization in an assistant role with the minor leagues in “cultural development.”

I doubt the Indians would go with someone so inexperienced but the club does think outside the box at times.

David Wallace – Cleveland Indians Special Assignment

Another long shot, David Wallace is more a pipe dream to join the staff somehow. He was named minor league manager of the year by Baseball America in 2016 when he was with the Double-A Akron RubberDucks. He looked like he was on the fast track to a big league job. However, he decided before the season that he wanted to spend more time with his family, something we’ve seen Travis Fryman do as well.

Wallace has worked more with catchers than pitchers in his career but we’ve seen catchers turn into pitching coaches before and perhaps he gets a look. The Indians are very high on him as a coach and if he decides to return to the dugout could find himself in Cleveland.

So what do you think of the options the Cleveland Indians have to replace Mickey Callaway? Who is your favorite and did I leave anyone off that you think is a good choice?

Next: Expansion and realignment could hurt the Indians

I’m sure there is at least one candidate I failed to mention (perhaps Brian Bannister?), but I’m confident whomever the Indians chose, it’ll be a good one. The Indians have been great at finding the right coaching, especially on the pitching side lately.