The Pirates are bringing back former farmhand and first baseman Matt Hague as their next hitting coach. Hague most recently served as Toronto’s assistant hitting coach in 2024 and he also spent three years in the Blue Jays’ minor league system as a hitting coach.
Hague played 43 career games in MLB between 2012 and 2014, 33 of which were with the Pirates. He posted a career .226 average with 7 RBI. While his Major League career was short, Hague tore up the minor leagues with 90 home runs and a collective line of .298/.374/.427. He takes over for Andy Haines, who was fired at the end of the season after the Pirates finished 24th or lower in most offensive categories.
The Pirates also reportedly hired former Astros pitching coach Brent Strom as their new assistant bullpen coach. Strom worked with Houston during their 2017 World Series championship run, and he also spent time in Kansas City and Arizona. The club has not yet confirmed the news, but MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf says Strom will coach from the dugout in games.
Only one vacancy remains for the Pirates. That being their bullpen coach position, which was Justin Meccage’s before he was fired with Haines at the end of the year.
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