Pirates announce player development hires, promotion of minor league managers

The Pittsburgh Pirates rewarded the successful seasons of two minor-league managers by moving them up a level, promoting Miguel Perez to Triple-A Indianapolis and Kieran Mattison to Double-A Altoona.

The Pirates announced their player development staff moves Wednesday, a shuffling that will provide coaching continuity for some of their top prospects as well as the addition of new voices from outside the organization.

It includes the promotions of Michael Chernow to John Baker’s assistant director of player and coaching development, Shawn Johnston as project management coordinator and Julio Sepulveda as coaching and player development coordinator.

The Pirates also made official the hiring of the organization’s first female coach, Caityln Callahan, as a development coach. They created a new position by adding former Chicago Cubs bullpen catcher Chad Noble as roving catching instructor. Chris Truby was hired as minor-league infield coordinator after 13 years with the Philadelphia Phillies. And after 13 years with the Tampa Bay Rays, Dewey Robinson was hired as a special advisor for pitching development.

Perez and bench coach Gary Green move from Altoona to Indianapolis, where they will have a new staff. After nine seasons with Atlanta, Dan Meyer replaces Joel Hanrahan — winner of the Danny Murtaugh award as minor-league coach of the year — as pitching coach. Former major-league catcher Eric Munson, who ran an indoor training facility in Dubuque, Iowa, replaces Jon Nunnally as hitting coach. Brady Conlan, who spent last season in Bradenton, joins the staff as integrated performance coach.

Mattison led the organization’s minor-league coaching staff of the year by guiding Greensboro to the High-A East championship series. He is joined by integrated performance coach Blake Butler, who was a development coach at Greensboro. Pitching coach Drew Benes remains, but Nunnally replaces David Newhan as hitting coach, with development coach Stephen Morales moving up after managing the Florida Complex League Black team last summer.

Taking over for Mattison as manager in Greensboro is Callix Crabbe, who spent the last three seasons as assistant hitting coach for the Texas Rangers. Hitting coach Ruben Gotay remains, but Fernando Nieve replaces Matt Ford as pitching coach after serving in that role for Low-A Bradenton last season. Justin Orton, who spent the past two seasons in the Dominican Republic, will serve as integrated performance coach. The Pirates have yet to name a development coach for the Grasshoppers.

Jonathan Johnston remains the manager in Bradenton, though he has a new hitting coach in Mendy Lopez, the Pirates’ former Latin American field coordinator. Lopez replaces Johnny Tucker, who is now a minor-league hitting coordinator.

Gustavo Omana, an assistant in Indianapolis last year, will work as a development coach. Casey Harms will serve as integrated performance coach after spending last season as a hitting coach in the FCL. That position was filled by hitting specialist Quentin Brown, who ran an indoor facility that was home to Indiana youth travel teams. Jim Horner, who served as Bradenton’s bench coach, is now an assistant field coordinator.