Pirates News: Former coach reunites with Shelton, Paul Skenes bobblehead, Esmerlyn Valdez

Hopefully, they learned from last year's bobblehead fiasco.
Pittsburgh Pirates v Seattle Mariners
Pittsburgh Pirates v Seattle Mariners | Alika Jenner/GettyImages

Not long after former Pittsburgh Pirates pitching coach Oscar Marin moved on to take a new position with the Cincinnati Reds, former third base coach Mike Rabelo did the same with the Minnesota Twins.

The Pirates announced at the end of September that they would not be renewing Marin's or Rabelo's contracts after the 2025 season. Rabelo, who had been on the Pirates' coaching staff since 2020, will reunite with former Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton in Minnesota as an assistant bench coach.

Rabelo is being replaced in Pittsburgh by Tony Beasley, who previously spent 18 years in the Pirates organization in a variety of roles. He is now returning to reprise the role of third base coach, which he held in Pittsburgh from 2008-10.

Pirates News: Paul Skenes to be honored with Cy Young bobblehead at PNC Park in April

The Pirates will celebrate Paul Skenes with a special bobblehead giveaway for the second time in as many seasons, this time to honor their ace's National League Cy Young Award win in 2025.

Skenes added the Cy Young to his trophy case just one year after being named NL Rookie of the Year. He is the first pitcher to win those awards in his first two seasons since Dwight Gooden did it with the New York Mets in 1984 and 1985 and the third Pirates pitcher to win the Cy Young, joining Vern Law (1960) and Doug Drabek (1990).

Notably, the Pirates state on their website that all fans in attendance for the team's home game against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 18 will take home a Skenes Cy Young bobblehead –– an indication that they learned from last year's fiasco, when only 20,000 fans received the Skenes Rookie of the Year bobblehead and thousands who attended the game to receive the giveaway left empty-handed.

Pirates News: Esmerlyn Valdez earns AFL Offensive Player of the Year honors

Esmerlyn Valdez, the Pirates' No. 15 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, capped off an electric performance in the Arizona Fall League by being named the league's Offensive Player of the Year.

Valdez hit .368 with a 1.355 OPS through 20 games with the Salt River Rafters. His eight home runs, 27 RBI and .842 slugging percentage all ranked first among AFL hitters.

Valdez is the sixth player to win Offensive Player of the Year honors in the AFL. Notably, four of the previous five winners have since gone on to make their major league debuts.

Valdez, who has yet to play above the Double-A level, will be Rule 5 eligible this offseason unless the Pirates add him to their 40-man roster to protect him from being claimed by another team. This latest honor only turns up the heat on Pittsburgh's front office to make the decision to protect him.

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