Olney Reacts To Mets Staff Changes [AUDIO]

Part I: Buster Olney on Mets firings

The firing of Mets hitting coach Dave Hudgens last Monday was heavily scrutinized around Major League Baseball.

“They fired him right after a tough double-header against the Pirates,” said ESPN’s Buster Olney, with Armen and Levack on 104.5 The Team. “A really, really smart executive with another team said to me, ‘There is no chance they thought this out’ because ultimately the potential benefit of having a different voice as hitting coach, is not worth the fall out that they're getting right now.”

David Wright said publicly that he felt the decision was unfair and ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin on 104.5 The Team referenced Hudgens as being a scapegoat, which Olney didn’t argue.

“I think coaches can make a difference but it comes down to the simple fact that the Mets don’t have a lot of strong hitters is why they’re struggling … They don’t really have a lot of players.”

Part II: Buster Olney on Mets firings

Less than 24 hours after getting fired, Hudgens spoke to several media outlets and said the reason the Mets aren’t hitting is because of a lack of funds.

FULL PODCAST: Buster Olney on 104.5 The Team

“They don’t spend a lot of money,” said Olney. “They have $85 million in payroll, that’s the eighth lowest payroll in baseball. $36 million of that is sucked up by Wright and Granderson and if that doesn’t grow then the offense probably isn’t going to get better and it doesn’t matter who the hitting coach is.”

The Mets are 27^th in MLB with a .235 batting average.

Buster Olney joins Armen and Levack every Thursday at 5:15p on 104.5 The Team.