Report: Nationals plan to hire Darnell Coles as hitting coach

The Washington Nationals are planning to hire Darnell Coles as their next hitting coach, according to Mark Feinsand of the MLB Network. The deal is not finalized. However, both sides are heading towards an agreement, according to Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post.

Coles will be replacing Kevin Long, who bolted from the Nationals after four seasons to join the staff of NL East rival, the Philadelphia Phillies.

Coles has a great deal of familiarity to the Nationals. He got his coaching start with the Nationals in 2006 after a 14-year playing career. He managed two minor league affiliates in 2007 and 2008, including the Hagerstown Suns.

Coles was also a teammate with Nationals manager Dave Martinez in 1992 while playing for the Cincinnati Reds.

Beyond the Nationals, Coles has an extensive resume of coaching. Most recently he was the hitting coach of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was fired in June after two-plus seasons. The Diamondbacks had one of the worst offenses over the past two seasons.

Prior to Arizona, Coles was the hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers. During his time there Brewers star Christian Yelich won the 2018 NL MVP, hitting a then-career-high .325 with 36 home runs and 110 RBIs.