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“Back Together.” With two words and a photo of them in Marlins warmup gear, Dee Gordon broke the news of a reunion with Perry Hill. A revered infield coach in Miami, Hill has accepted the same position with the Seattle Mariners for next season.
The Mariners still haven’t confirmed the hire as of late Saturday afternoon, but the 66-year-old updated the bio on his personal Twitter and Instagram accounts to include his new employer. An industry source tells Fish Stripes that the Rays also showed serious interest in Hill during his free agency.
Shortly after the end of the 2018 regular season, the Marlins front office held meetings with each member of the major league coaching staff. Hill was one of the four who they decided not to renew.
The 2003 World Series champ is, inarguably, an outstanding infield instructor. Gordon was a star pupil, emerging as the NL Gold Glove standard at second base during their first season together in 2015.
Hill also demonstrated a willingness to embrace analytics in recent years, applying batted ball data and shifting his players far more frequently.
All that being said, he was a holdover from the previous regime. Derek Jeter and Co. want to “bring in their own guy.”
Most 2018 coaching contracts officially expired on Oct. 31. The Marlins have yet to address any of their vacancies.