Colorado Rockies: Five potential assistant hitting coach candidates for 2022

Tim Laker could be another candidate for the Colorado Rockies

Tim Laker was a backup catcher for most of his career as he played in parts of 12 seasons in the majors from 1992 through 2006 for five different teams. But in those 12 seasons, he only played in 281 games.

Starting in 2007, Laker, who will turn 52 in less than two weeks, started coaching and managing in the minors with Cleveland. Between Cleveland, Seattle, and the White Sox, he managed for two seasons and was a hitting coach, coordinator, or catching coordinator for eight more seasons.

He made it back to the majors in 2017 as Arizona’s assistant hitting coach before he went back to Seattle to become their head hitting coach before 2019.

However, on Monday, it was announced that Laker would not be returning to the Mariners as he and the Mariners could not come to an agreement on a contract.

But the thing that could tip the scale in favor for him? Who was the head-hitting coach for the Diamondbacks when he was the assistant hitting coach? Current Rockies hitting coach Dave Magadan. His ties to the then-named Cleveland Indians could also be a factor as many former Cleveland front office personnel (Bill Schmidt and Bud Black to name two but both were there when Laker wasn’t) are with the Rockies.