4 key Pirates coaching additions that should justify their staff overhaul

Expectations were pretty high for the Pittsburgh Pirates entering the 2024-2025 offseason. They were finally in position to add at last year's trade deadline, but their key acquisitions all struggled, and the team was left without a pulse after an 8-19 August. As a result, the Bucs made no progress from their 76 wins in 2023.

The expected response was that we would finally start to see the Pirates act with some semblance of urgency. Multiple local outlets projected an uptick in payroll (which ended the season around $86 million and saw multiple notable veterans come off the books). MLB Trade Rumors projected Pittsburgh to splurge for free agents like Tyler O'Neill, David Robertson, and Michael Conforto. Everybody expected the Pirates to put their foot on the gas this winter.

Well, everybody except the Pirates themselves. After dealing from their pitching surplus for an intriguing but inexperienced first baseman (that trade is looking really great now), the team added a handful of cheap free agents (they signed five external free agents for less than $15 million total) and couldn't be bothered to even be rumored to have interest in any hitter who would represent a significant upgrade.

The phrase that has seemingly been uttered countless times throughout the winter and into spring training is "internal improvement." The Pirates believe they can get the best out of the young players they've had in-house and are putting most of their eggs in that basket.

After last season's poor conclusion, the club cut ties with hitting coach Andy Haines and bullpen coach Justin Meccage, directly addressing two of the team's prominent weaknesses. Over the winter, the Pirates hired not two, but four coaches who could wind up making a big impact in 2025.

These four coaches should assist in achieving the necessary internal improvements the Pirates are looking for.