10/20 21:13: Don Mattingly looks like he may have gotten the experience that he needed in a bench coach.   According to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, former Kansas City Royals manager Trey Hillman has emerged as the front-runner to be bench coach on Don Mattingly’s staff.  The 47-year-old Hillman, who managed the Royals from 2008 until May 2010, was seen with Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti and assistant general manager Kim Ng watching an Arizona Fall League game Wednesday.  His link to Mattingly (which isn’t much) would be having managed 12 seasons in the Yankees Minor League system from 1990-2001.

If Hillman does end up being the bench coach, here is how the coaching situation will look like: Hillman, bench coach; Rick Honeycutt, pitching coach; Jeff Pentland, Chili Davis, Manny Mota, hitting coaches; Tim Wallach, third-base coach; Ken Howell, bullpen coach.

10/18 20:50: According to various sources close to ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Tony Jackson, parts of the Dodgers’ coaching staff are starting to take shape.

Jeff Pentland is the front-runner to become the hitting coach, Rick Honeycutt will remain as the pitching coach (pending that he agrees to his contract), and Ken Howell will return (presumably as the bullpen coach). Former Major League player Chili Davis could fill the team’s hitting instructor’s role.

Tim Wallach has a spot on the Dodgers, likely as the third base or bench coach, if he is not hired as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers. Wallach was not allowed to speak with the Toronto Blue Jays because he did not prioritize his interest in the team. The Dodgers allowed Wallach to make a list of clubs he could speak with and clubs he couldn’t speak with. The team didn’t want Wallach to interview for all available openings and delay their coaching roster.

The team may be hesitant to name Wallach the bench coach. Instead they may try to find a former big league manager to fill that role since rookie manager Don Mattingly may need to confide in him.

The team’s third-base coach, Larry Bowa, won’t be back. Mariano Duncan was told after the season that he was free to speak with other clubs indicating that he likely won’t be back. The team does not have a first-base coach replacement as of now.