Pirates hire assistant hitting coach, field coordinator
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced two changes Friday to their major league coaching staff.
They hired Christian Marrero as assistant hitting coach. Marrero played in the Pirates organization in 2012 and spent time with the Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies, where he was a hitting coach for Lakewood the past two years and in Williamsport in 2018.
Marrero will work closely with Rick Eckstein and replace Mike Rabelo, who becomes the major league field coordinator. The Pirates called the job a leadership position that will focus on the use of technology and innovation.
Rabelo will work closely with Pirates manager Derek Shelton and bench coach Don Kelly on MLB rules, in-game situations and practice design.
Rabelo also is in charge of ensuring alignment in the majors and serving as a liaison to player development in the minors.
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
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