Pirates announce Minors coaching staffs

PITTSBURGH -- The Minor League season is set to return after being canceled in 2020, and the Pirates announced the coaching staffs for their four full-season affiliates on Wednesday.

Brian Esposito will return for a third season as the manager at Triple-A Indianapolis, supported by hitting coach Jon Nunnally and pitching coach Joel Hanrahan. The three were slated to head up the Indians’ Minor League coaching staff last year before the coronavirus pandemic led to the cancellation of the season. Nunally and Hanrahan, a former Pirates closer, served in the same roles at Double-A Altoona in 2019.

The Curve will have a new manager in Miguel Perez, who skippered the Class A Advanced Grasshoppers in 2019. Perez, a former catcher in the Pirates’ farm system, has served as a coach for the organization since ‘14. The organization parted ways with former Altoona manager Michael Ryan, who is now a manager in the Cubs’ system, in 2019.

Pitching coach Drew Benes will move from a scheduled assignment in Class A Bradenton last season to Double-A, and David Newhan takes over as hitting coach in Altoona.

Like Perez, Kieran Mattison will continue to work his way up the organizational ladder as he takes over as Grasshoppers manager. Mattison managed the Dominican Summer League Pirates in 2017 and the former Class A Short-Season affiliate West Virginia Black Bears in ‘18. Ruben Gotay will join the Grasshoppers as the hitting coach, and Matt Ford will continue in the Pirates’ system as pitching coach.

Jonathan Johnston, who was set to be the Black Bears’ manager in 2020, will instead manage the Class A Marauders in Bradenton this season. Jonny Tucker will move from Greensboro to Bradenton to be the hitting coach, and former Major League pitcher Fernando Nieve will move from the Gulf Coast League in 2019 to Class A.

The only positions left to be filled are strength and conditioning coaches in Altoona and Greensboro. Following is the full list of coaching staffs announced by the Pirates:

Indianapolis (Triple-A)

Manager: Brian Esposito
Hitting coach: Jon Nunnally
Pitching coach: Joel Hanrahan
Assistant coach: Gustavo Omana
Athletic trainer: Justin Ahrens
Strength and conditioning coach: Alan Burr

Altoona (Double-A)

Manager: Miguel Perez
Hitting coach: David Newhan
Pitching coach: Drew Benes
Bench coach: Gary Green
Athletic trainer: Tyler Brooks
Strength and conditioning coach: TBA

Greensboro (Class A Advanced)

Manager: Kieran Mattison
Hitting coach: Ruben Gotay
Pitching coach: Matt Ford
Development coach: Blake Butler
Athletic trainer: Victor Silva
Strength and conditioning coach: TBA

Bradenton (Class A)

Manager: Jonathan Johnston
Hitting coach: Jonny Tucker
Pitching coach: Fernando Nieve
Bench coach: Jim Horner
Athletic trainer: Matt McNamee
Strength and conditioning coach: Nick Presley