Dave Hansen out as Dodgers hitting coach

With both general manager Ned Colletti and manager Don Mattingly set to return after the Dodgers missed the playoffs for a third straight season, the team found its fall guy. The team announced on Friday that Dave Hansen will no longer be the hitting coach in 2013.

The Dodgers averaged just 3.0 runs per game in their first 28 games after acquiring Adrian Gonzalez in a blockbuster nine-player trade with the Boston Red Sox. The lineup, also bolstered with trade additions Hanley Ramirez and Shane Victorino, suffered through an 11-17 stretch that saw them score two runs or less 14 times. Despite a strong 7-1 finish with 45 runs scored in their final eight games, the Dodgers finished two games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the second wild card spot in the National League.

The Dodgers say they have offered Hansen another position within the organization. The team began meetings one day after the regular season ended, which included coaching staff evaluations.

"It's something we're talking about. Every year somebody changes. Very seldom do you see the staff stay totally status quo," Mattingly said last week. "It's something we'll talk about."

The Dodgers also announced they will return all other coaches in 2013, including third base coach Tim Wallach, who is under consideration for the Boston Red Sox managerial job.

Hansen began the 2011 campaign as hitting instructor, but was promoted to hitting coach on July 20 after Jeff Pentland was fired. The Dodgers averaged 4.56 runs per game in 64 games under Hansen in 2011 after averaging 3.63 runs per game in 97 games under Pentland.

What a difference a year makes.