Blue Jays Poach Coach From Defending World Champs
While Blue Jays fans eagerly await some movement - any movement - on the free agent side of the off-season, the team did make a small addition to their coaching staff late on Monday. TSN's Scott Mitchell, citing sources, has reported that the Blue Jays have hired Lou Iannotti as an assistant coach, the specifics of which have not yet been announced.
Only 32, Iannotti has already had several years coaching experience, most recently as hitting coordinator for the defending World Champions Los Angeles Dodgers, an organisation he had been with since 2018.
While it's unclear as of yet what Iannotti's specific role will be, given his coaching history it will most likely be something similar to his role on the Dodgers, perhaps even an upgrade. This makes sense for the Jays too.
After parting ways hitting coach Guillermo Martinez at the beginning of the offseason, the Blue Jays have sought to revamp their hitting department, which began when they hired David Popkins to replace Martinez, having lured him away from the Minnesota Twins where he served the same role.
Iannotti's coaching career, which began after injuries cut short his dreams of being a big-league catcher, began with the Quinnipac Bobcats, the varsity collegiate team of his Alma Mater, before moving through the ranks and joining the Dodgers in 2018.
Iannotti was reportedly happy with his job title and position with the defending World Champs, so it's clear that the Blue Jays front office thinks very highly of him, enough to offer a positional upgrade and entice him away from sunny California.
While, this is obviously not the seismic signing Blue Jays fans are clamouring for, any time you can lure a coach away from the defending World Champions, that can only be a positive. That Jays prioritised re-making their hitting department and re-analysing their approach and philosophy; Lou Iannotti is clearly a step in the right direction.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 2 | 95 ANSWERS Blue Jays Poach Coach From Defending World Champs Will Iannotti help the Jays' hitters? | ||
| Yes | 71 | 74.7 % |
| No | 24 | 25.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
