Pittsburgh Pirates Hire Oscar Marin As Pitching Coach

The Pirates have found a replacement for Ray Searage.  The team announced today that Oscar Marin will be the team’s next pitching coach.

After nine seasons with Ray Searage as the Pittsburgh Pirates pitching coach, the Bucs will have a new man in charge of the pitching staff.  Today, Oscar Marin was named the pitching coach under new manager Derek Shelton.

Marin, 37, served as the bullpen coach for the Texas Rangers during the 2019 season.  Prior to this position, he was the minor league pitching coordinator for the Seattle Mariners in 2017 and 2018.

Marin got his start in coaching professional baseball with the Rangers in 2010, serving as pitching coach in the Arizona League for three years.  In 2013, he was promoted to the same position for the rookie league affiliate.

He was again promoted to serve as pitching coach for Low-A Hickory for two seasons in 2014 and 2015.  He won the South Atlantic League coach of the year while leading the pitching staff in 2015.  He was again promoted, this time to be the pitching coach for High-A Desert in 2016.

When discussing what the team wanted from the person in this role, both GM Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton were looking for a “player-centric” type of person.  So, the Pirates pegged Marin as a coach who will be able to build relationships with his players and work with them based off of their individual strengths while improving their weaknesses.

Marin will bring a breath of fresh air to a staff that has listened to Searage who was pitching coach in a full-time capacity from 2011-2019.  He was fired shortly after the season concluded.  Marin figures to be a young, analytically-driven coach who will being a new perspective to an overall young Pirates pitching staff .

According to a report from Jason Mackey, Justin Meccage, who served as assistant pitching coach for the Pirates the past two seasons, will become the Pirates new bullpen coach.  Meccage was also rumored to have interviewed for the Pirates pitching coach role.

The Pirates still need to hire a first base coach and an assistant hitting coach to round out Shelton’s staff.  It is yet to be known if an assistant pitching coach will be hired and if any other coaching positions will be added.