Looking to upgrade an offense that lagged in 2014, the New York Yankees hired Jeff Pentland as hitting coach and Alan Cockrell as assistant hitting coach, multiple media outlets reported Sunday.
The team never previously employed an assistant hitting coach.
The Yankees also moved Joe Espada, who was serving as a special assistant to general manager Brian Cashman, to the job of infield coach.
Hitting coach Kevin Long and infield coach Mick Kelleher were fired in October.
Pentland, 68, previously was the hitting coach for the then-Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers. While Pentland was in Chicago in the early 2000s, one of his players was current Yankees manager Joe Girardi.
Pentland was a first baseman, pitcher and catcher for three seasons in the minor leagues but never reached the majors.
Cockrell, 52, was the Colorado Rockies’ hitting coach from 2006-08, helping the team reach the 2007 World Series. From 2009 to May 2010, he was the Mariners’ hitting coach.
An outfielder in his playing days, Cockrell appeared in eight major league games, for the Rockies in 1996, going 2-for-8 with two RBIs.
Espada, 39, played 10 seasons as a minor league infielder without reaching the majors. He also served as a minor league and major league coach for the Miami Marlins.
The Yankees finished last season 20th out of 30 teams in runs scored (633), 20th in batting average (.245), 23rd in slugging percentage (.307) and 17th in slugging percentage (.380).