Pittsburgh Pirates News: More Minor Coaching Staff Changes

The Pittsburgh Pirates have made a lot of changes to their coaching staff throughout the Organization.  Even with the lockout, the team continues to make changes.

Over the past month, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the rest of Major League Baseball have had to operate in an unusual fashion.  With the lockout in place and no end in sight, teams across the league have shifted their focus to other parts of the Organization.  This includes the Pittsburgh Pirates and their minor league affiliates.

This week the team brought in a couple of new coaches into the minor league fold for the 2022 season.  According to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette, the Bucs are hiring Callix Crabbe and Chad Noble. Both hires have received positive reviews.

Noble, a former minor league catcher, will be taking over as the team’s catching coordinator. This move makes a lot of sense.  John Baker, the Pittsburgh Pirates Director of Player and Coaching Development came from the Cubs and worked with Noble. Many fans were pleased when they brought in Baker this past year, so the fact that Noble has a connection to him is likely a good thing.

Noble is still a youthful 33-years-old, making him a younger coach, but he is also viewed as an up-and-coming coach. Noble has spent the previous eight years as the Chicago Cubs’ bullpen catcher. The Cubs were also the team he spent 8 years in the minors with, as well as being drafted by them.

Crabbe is another former minor league player of 10 seasons. Playing with the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres (where he played his 21 major league games for his career), and Seattle Mariners affiliates. He has spent the last two seasons as the Texas Rangers’ assistant hitting coach. The 38-year-old will now take over as Greensboro’s manager.

There has been some shakeup in the Pittsburgh Pirates Organization.  Not necessarily in a bad way, although losing Joel Hanrahan could be.  Regardless, the team has seemed to take a patient approach when looking to fill these important coaching roles.  It seems like they made a couple of good hires.