The Pirates are hiring Brent Strom as an assistant pitching coach, as first reported by Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Put up-Gazette. The veteran coach was dismissed from the lead pitching function with the Diamondbacks on the outset of the offseason.
It comes as one thing of a shock that Strom accepted an assistant pitching coach function. He’d been a group’s prime pitching voice for greater than a decade. The Astros employed him as pitching coach going into the 2014 season. He shortly secured a status as one of many sport’s prime assistants. Houston had fairly a number of developmental success tales amongst their younger arms over his eight-year tenure. Arizona employed Strom through the 2021-22 offseason. He held a task on Torey Lovullo’s employees for 3 years.
Strom will now work alongside pitching coach Oscar Marin in Pittsburgh. (The Bucs additionally nonetheless want to rent a bullpen coach after dismissing Justin Meccage in September.) Marin and Strom will work with one of many sport’s most gifted younger staffs. Paul Skenes and Jared Jones already appear like top-of-the-rotation starters as they go into their second seasons. Mitch Keller is a high quality mid-rotation arm who would possibly nonetheless have untapped potential. Bailey Falter and Luis Ortiz have the ultimate two rotation spots on paper, although the Bucs may graduate prospects Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington earlier than lengthy.
Strom is Pittsburgh’s second notable rent of the day. The Bucs tabbed Matt Hague as hitting coach this morning. The bullpen coach will be the ultimate remaining resolution as Derek Shelton builds his 2025 employees.
