Mark McGwire has been the Cardinals' hitting coach for the last three years. (US Presswire)

Cardinals hitting coach Mark McGwire is close to accepting the same position with the Dodgers, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

McGwire, 49, has spent the last three seasons as the Cardinals' hitting coach under Tony La Russa and Mike Matheny. McGwire is a Southern California native and reportedly wants to be closer to his wife and five children who live in Orange County. He has 2-year-old triplets.

With the Cardinals sporting one of the league's most potent offenses under his tutelage, McGwire has built a reputation as a stellar hitting coach while helping develop younger hitters such as David Freese and Allen Craig.

McGwire will join Don Mattingly's staff in Los Angeles. The Dodgers fired hitting coach Dave Hansen following the 2012 season. Hansen was recently hired by the Mariners in the same capacity.

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