In a move that reshapes the coaching landscape within the NL East, two former coaches of the New York Mets have found new homes with a division rival. The Atlanta Braves have officially brought Jeremy Hefner and Antoan Richardson on board, with the announcement made on Wednesday afternoon. Hefner steps in as the Braves’ new pitching coach, a role he previously held with the Mets. Richardson joins the team as their first base coach.
Jeremy Hefner’s departure from the Mets was somewhat expected, as the team chose not to renew his contract for the 2026 season, prompting him to explore new opportunities. However, the loss of Antoan Richardson comes as more of a blow. The Mets had expressed a desire for Richardson to return, but contract negotiations fell through before his contract expired last week. While reports have suggested that Richardson opted to leave, the 42-year-old Bahamian has countered this narrative, emphasizing his willingness to stay with the Mets.
The disagreement, it seems, boiled down to differing perceptions of Richardson’s worth. “I was very interested in returning to the Mets, but during the negotiation process, we weren’t fully aligned on how we viewed my value,” Richardson conveyed in a message to the Daily News. He expressed respect for the Mets’ negotiation process and their discussions, but also highlighted his openness to exploring opportunities elsewhere once allowed. He remained open to a possible return to the Mets, yet was keen on finding a role that aligned more closely with his expectations.
Reports from SNY’s Andy Martino suggested that the Mets were aware of the difficulty in retaining Richardson, hinting at an impression that he might have already secured another position. Richardson, however, portrayed the situation differently. He outlined a negotiation process where he proposed a salary that the Mets countered, leading to a back-and-forth exchange that ultimately did not result in an agreement. Despite the efforts from both sides to finalize the terms, time ran out before they could reach a consensus.
“I was very interested in returning to the Mets, but during the negotiation process, we weren’t fully aligned on how we viewed my value,” Richardson said in a text to the Daily News. “I have great respect for their process and the conversations we had. Once I was allowed to speak with other teams, I remained open to a return to Queens until the end, while also focusing on finding an opportunity that was more in line with what I was looking for.”
SNY’s Andy Martino has twice reported the Mets tried to keep Richardson, but knew they would be unable to do so, making it sound as though he already had another job lined up. Richardson said he sees the situation differently. He proposed a salary with benefits, the Mets countered with another, and they went back and forth, ultimately failing to agree on a salary. He did say that both sides worked very hard to get something done before running out of time.
Richardson circled back to the Mets in the end, but the team couldn’t offer him the same deal because of a restriction on the number of coaches allowed to receive a pension. The Mets had already hired other coaches by that point.
President of baseball operations David Stearns has not commented.
“After connecting with several teams about different roles, ranging from bench coach to first base coach, Atlanta proved to be the right fit,” Richardson said. “I’m genuinely excited about this next chapter in Atlanta and look forward to contributing in a positive way.”
Richardson worked as the baserunning coordinator and the outfield coach during his two seasons with the Mets. A popular coach praised by nearly every member of the Mets for his preparation and communication, he helped Juan Soto steal a career-high 38 bases last season. The Mets led the league with an 89.1% stolen base rate in 2025, something highlighted by the Braves in a press release announcing his hiring.
Losing a popular coach to a division rival because of a disagreement about money doesn’t position the Mets in the strongest of lights. But for Richardson, it’s a positive. A move to Atlanta also puts him closer to Nashville, where he played college baseball for Vanderbilt.
“I have nothing but love for my time in New York,” he said. “A lot of relationships were built in New York that will stand the test of time and for that, I’ll be forever grateful.”
Hefner spent the last six seasons with the Mets as the pitching coach. The 39-year-old Oklahoma native was a constant throughout a tumultuous few years, surviving an ownership change and several managerial changes. While lauded for his ability to find undervalued back-end starters and turn them into frontline arms, the starting pitching staff didn’t perform as expected this season.
The Mets are expected to replace him with Justin Willard, the director of pitching for the Boston Red Sox. The club has already overhauled much of manager Carlos Mendoza’s staff, adding Kai Correa as the bench coach, Troy Snitker as an assistant hitting coach, and promoting Jeff Albert to the role of director of major league hitting.
Snitker is the son of former Braves manager Brian Snitker, who retired following the conclusion of the 2025 season. The veteran skipper will transition to a senior advisory role with the organization.
