Ex-Blue Jays manager John Gibbons back in dugout as Mets bench coach

The New York Mets announced the hiring of former Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons on Monday as bench coach under new manager Carlos Mendoza.

The Mets also hired Antoan Richardson as first base coach, Mike Sarbaugh as third base coach and Jose Rosado as bullpen coach.

The 61-year-old Gibbons managed the Blue Jays from 2004-08 and 2013-18. He appeared in 18 major league games, all with the Mets in 1984 and '86, and was a minor league manager, coach and instructor from 1991 to 2001.

Eric Chavez returns to hitting coach after spending 2023 as bench coach under Buck Showalter.

Jeremy Hefner will be pitching coach for the fifth season and Glenn Sherlock catching coach for the second.

Danny Barnes returns as the club's major league strategy coach and Jeremy Barnes as a hitting coach.

Shohei Ohtani plans to decide where to sign "within the week," MLB Network reported.

The free agent two-way star is projected to receive a record-setting contract worth more than $500 million US with only a handful of teams still considered serious options, per multiple reports.

MLB Network said Monday Atlanta is still in the running for Ohtani, contrary to reports that listed the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and Blue Jays as finalists.

Signing with the Braves would put the left-handed slugger in the middle of a lineup that features 2023 National League MVP Ronald Acuna and MLB home run leader Matt Olson (54 homers in 2023).

Ohtani was a two-time MVP (2021, 2023) with the Angels and an American League MVP runner-up in 2022. He has 124 home runs since the start of the 2021 season and struck out 11.4 batters per nine innings as a starter for the Angels last season.

Ohtani had surgery on his elbow and will