Glenn Sherlock joins Pirates' coaching staff

PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates hired Glenn Sherlock as a Major League coach on Monday, adding an experienced presence and filling a need on new manager Derek Shelton's nearly complete coaching staff.
The club announced that Sherlock, 59, will assist Shelton and bench coach Don Kelly with game preparation and in-game management, but his primary focus will be coaching Pittsburgh's catchers and run prevention. The Pirates were in need of a coach to work with their catchers after dismissing former bench coach Tom Prince.
Sherlock brings more than 35 years of professional baseball experience to his new role, including 24 in the National League. That may be particularly helpful for the Bucs' first-time manager and bench coach, who have spent most of their careers in the American League.
Sherlock spent the past three years with the Mets, two of them as New York's third-base coach and the past season as first-base coach. Throughout his tenure with New York, he also served as the club's catching instructor.
Sherlock also spent 19 seasons on the D-backs' coaching staff, working as their catching coach from 1998-2016 while serving in a number of other roles: three years as bench coach (2003, '15-16), two as third-base coach ('04, '14) and 14 as bullpen coach (1998-2002, '05-13). He initially joined the D-backs as their Minor League catching coordinator from 1996-97.
Like Shelton, Sherlock managed in the Yankees' Minor League system at the beginning of his coaching career. He spent three years with New York, two of them with the Gulf Coast League Yankees and one in the Florida State League. He also served as a catching instructor for the Yankees during the early 1990s.
Selected by the Astros in the 21st round of the 1983 Draft, Sherlock played 297 games in the Minors for the Astros (1983-86) and Yankees ('87-89) and reached Triple-A with the Yankees, but he never made it to the Majors as a player.
Eight days away from the new year, the Pirates have just one open spot remaining on their Major League coaching staff: an assistant hitting coach to replace Jacob Cruz.
Since bringing Shelton on board, the Bucs have hired Kelly as bench coach, Oscar Marin as pitching coach, Tarrik Brock as first-base coach and now Sherlock as a Major League coach. They also retained hitting coach Rick Eckstein, third-base coach Joey Cora and Justin Meccage as bullpen coach. Sherlock will work with the catchers, Cora with the infielders and Brock with the outfielders.
Senior Reporter Adam Berry covers the Rays for MLB.com and covered the Pirates from 2015-21.