Former Cincinnati Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson has found a new home.

According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the New York Mets are hiring Johnson in an advisory role. Bobby Nightengale Jr. was the first to link Johnson to the Mets.

Johnson spent eight seasons with the Reds after joining the organization ahead of the 2019 season. Before coming to Cincinnati, he spent three seasons as the pitching coach for the Milwaukee Brewers.

During his time with the Reds, Johnson was widely regarded as one of the better pitching coaches in baseball, and the results backed that up.

In his first season with Cincinnati in 2019, the Reds improved their team ERA from 4.63 in 2018 to 4.18, which ranked fourth in the National League. The pitching staff also recorded a franchise-record 1,552 strikeouts that season. Johnson was named Baseball America's Major League Coach of the Year for his efforts.

The success continued into 2020, when the Reds led the National League with 615 strikeouts during the shortened 60-game season. Cincinnati's starting rotation also ranked second in Major League Baseball with 381 strikeouts.

Johnson played a big role in helping develop the Reds' pitching staff over the years. Pitchers like Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, and more recently, Chase Burns all developed under his watch. He also helped pitchers like Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo find success during his time in Cincinnati.

In 2025, the Reds finished with a 3.86 team ERA, which ranked 12th in baseball. That pitching staff played a big role in helping Cincinnati reach the postseason.

However, Johnson's final season with the organization was a strange one.

Leave of Absence

In early June, Johnson took an indefinite personal leave of absence from the team. The Reds never publicly explained the reason for his absence, citing privacy concerns. He ended up missing the remainder of the 2026 season, with assistant pitching coach Matt Tracy taking over his responsibilities.

The Reds' pitching staff struggled badly in 2026, finishing 28th in Major League Baseball with a 4.83 ERA. They also led all of baseball with 668 walks.

Following the season, the Reds announced that Johnson would not be returning in 2027. Cincinnati has since hired former Cleveland Guardians assistant pitching coach Joe Torres as his replacement.

It's certainly good to see Johnson back in baseball after the unusual circumstances surrounding his departure from Cincinnati. While the Reds' pitching staff struggled this past season, that shouldn't take away from the job he did during his eight years with the organization.

Johnson was a big part of the Reds' pitching development success, and it'll be interesting to see what kind of impact he can make with the Mets in his new role.