The Phillies are hiring Peter Fatse as their new hitting coach, according to Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic. MLB Trade Rumors says he replaces Kevin Long, who was let go from the position a couple of weeks ago. MLB.com, MLB Trade Rumors, Yahoo Sports and The Good Phight all carried the news. The Athletic's report is the original source for all of them.

MLB Trade Rumors puts Fatse's age at 39. It says the Brewers drafted him in 2009 and that he played some minor league ball. The Good Phight says his coaching career began as a hitting instructor, but the feed excerpt cuts off before the details. Yahoo Sports says he spent four-plus seasons leading Boston's offense, then joined the Rays as a hitting consultant. The Good Phight calls him a former Red Sox coach. The reporting doesn't say whether he stayed in a Rays role through this season.

Yahoo's Ian Casselberry says the Phillies' hitting numbers had steadily declined under Long. That is a characterization, not a figure, and the reporting gives no numbers to back it up. The club's record fits a team that was fine but not dominant. Philadelphia finished 88-74, second in the NL East, and lost 6-2 at Atlanta on Oct. 1, its last game of the regular season. It ended the year on a W1 streak, which counts the 4-3 win at Atlanta the day before.

Casselberry's headline also says Fatse joins Carlos Mendoza on Don Mattingly's staff. None of the other outlets mention that, and the reporting doesn't explain Mendoza's or Mattingly's roles. Our own data lists Don Mattingly with the New York Yankees. We therefore can't confirm from our tables how that staff is arranged, and the Yahoo item is the only source for it.

The Good Phight notes that there was no news on assistants Edwar Gonzalez and Rafael Pena. It says Fatse will be the new top hitting coach. Whether either assistant stays is an open question.

Fatse's old clubs are in the news at the same time. The Rays went 98-64 and won the AL East. They host the Brewers, who went 103-59, on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Milwaukee won 5-4 over Tampa Bay on Oct. 24. The Red Sox, where Fatse spent four-plus seasons, finished 87-75, third in the AL East. Whether the Phillies can announce Fatse officially before or after the Rays' season ends is not addressed in the reporting.