The Mets’ search for instructional help in the hitting department includes a coach with ties to president of baseball operations David Stearns from the Astros.
John Mallee, who has spent the past three seasons as Cubs assistant hitting coach, is among the candidates to join the Mets staff, MLB.com first reported Tuesday.
Mallee spent 2013-14 as Astros hitting coach, overlapping with Stearns’ stint in Houston’s front office.
Mallee, in his first stint in Chicago, was hitting coach when the Cubs won the World Series in 2016.
He later was Phillies hitting coach and Angels assistant hitting coach before rejoining the Cubs.
The Mets have a vacancy after director of major league hitting Jeff Albert was fired last week.
As first reported by The Post, former Mets hitting coach Kevin Long was scheduled to interview for a position Tuesday with the club.
Long has a relationship with Juan Soto from their time together in Washington, which included a World Series title in 2019. Long was fired last week by the Phillies.