Division rival seemingly takes shot at Pirates after signing dismissed pitching coach

Earlier this offseason, it came out of nowhere seeing the Pirates dismiss Oscar Marin from their coaching staff. After further reports came out, the indication was that players were not satisfied with his management. That was somewhat surprising, given their success; the unit ranked seventh in MLB last season, with plenty more promising talent on the way. Despite Pittsburgh's verdict, the Reds saw this as an opportunity, and one-upped the Pirates by adding Marin to their staff this week.

Cincinnati wasn't in the market for a pitching coach, as Derek Johnson has been there since 2019 and they just promoted Matt Tracy from bullpen coach to assistant pitching coach. Marin isn't even taking a job as a pitching coach and will instead be the bullpen coach, returning to the role he had prior to arriving in Pittsburgh.

His track record in Pittsburgh involved coaching up one of the best staffs in baseball, playing a key role in developing some of the arms that the Pirates rely on. For example, Mitch Keller was considered a bust in 2021, posting a 6.17 ERA. He struggled mightily to begin 2022, finished with an ERA just below 4.00, and rode that wave into becoming an All-Star in 2023. Now, he is among the game's leaders in quality starts and is getting paid an AAV of $18 million.

While that is just one notable arm to come from Marin's tree, it is still surprising to see him settle for a job as a bullpen coach, rather than pitching coach for another team in the market. This makes it seem like a real slap in the face coordinated by Marin and Pittsburgh's NL Central rival. It was a home run hire by the Reds by all means, and Marin seems awfully comfortable staying in close quarters with Pittsburgh.

Oscar Marin taking the Reds bullpen coach job feels like a shot at the Pirates.

Hiring Bill Murphy brings optimism that the Pirates pitching staff can be even better in 2026. He seems like an upgrade over Marin, given what he's shown in Houston and his early attitude towards the Pirates. From what Paul Skenes stated on Wednesday night, it seems like Murphy wants to be here and that means a lot, especially considering what he can bring to the team after following in the footsteps of highly respected pitching coach Brent Strom.

But, if the Pirates ever need a reminder of what they lost, they won't have to look very far to receive one.