Pirates announce additions and changes to baseball operations staff

The Pittsburgh Pirates today have made the following additions and changes to the Baseball Operations staff.

Rafael Freitas has been named the Major League Head Athletic Trainer. Freitas spent the last four seasons as the assistant athletic trainer with the Milwaukee Brewers. He was also a minor league athletic trainer with the St. Louis organization in 2016 and a minor league athletic trainer in the Arizona organization from 2014-15. The native of Brazil began his professional career as an athletic trainer at the Cincinnati Reds’ Dominican Republic Academy (2012-13). He has also worked with Toros Azucareros del Este in the Dominican Winter League in 2013 and was the head athletic trainer for Team Brazil during the World Baseball Classic qualifiers in 2012 and 2016.

Terence Brannic has been named the Head Major League Strength & Conditioning Coach. Brannic spent the last nine seasons in the Oakland organization, working the last three as the assistant Major League Strength & Conditioning Coach. He spent the previous two seasons as the assistant minor league strength and conditioning coordinator after previously serving as strength and conditioning coach with Athletics’ affiliates in Triple-A Nashville (2015), Double-A Midland (2013-14) and Single-A Vermont (2012).

Adam Vish has joined the Major League staff as a Strength & Conditioning Coach. The Pittsburgh native has spent the last eight seasons in the San Francisco organization, working as the minor league strength and conditioning coordinator the last two years after serving as the assistant minor league strength and conditioning coordinator in 2018. Vish, who is a University of Pittsburgh graduate, also spent time in the Kansas City Royals minor league system as a strength and conditioning coach in 2011-12.

Seth Steinhauer will be joining the Major League staff as Physical Therapist. Steinhauer just completed his fourth season with the Pirates organization, serving as the minor league rehab coordinator in 2020.

Josh Hopper has been named Coordinator, Pitching Development. Hopper spent the last three seasons with Dallas Baptist University as their pitching coach after spending nine seasons in the same capacity at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Hopper’s pitching staff in 2019 helped lead DBU to a 43-win season and the finals of the Lubbock Regional while the Patriots ranked ninth nationally in strikeouts (600). Prior to arriving at UAB in 2010, Hopper was the Pitching Coach at his alma mater, Berry College, where he helped lead the Vikings to the program’s first NAIA World Series appearance in 2009 and a No. 4 ranking in the final NAIA Baseball Coaches Poll while posting a 46-16 record and overseeing a pitching staff ranked in the top-25 nationally in ERA.

A.J. Patrick, who has been with the Pirates organization since 2015, serving as the Senior Coordinator of Rehab and Athlete Development the last three seasons, will now assume the title of Director or Sports Performance. In his new role, Patrick will work with the major and minor league coaches, the sports medicine department and strength coaches.

Todd Tomczyk will continue in his role as Director of Sports Medicine and will oversee the medical operation and processes while working closely with the team physicians and medical staff.

Bryan Stroh will continue to serve as Senior Vice President of Baseball Development. Stroh, who was promoted to the role in April of 2020, works closely with Manager Derek Shelton in overseeing Major League clubhouse operations, which includes the Sports Medicine and Sports Nutrition departments, as well as travel, video and clubhouse staff. Stroh also continues to oversee the club’s salary arbitration process and assists in other aspects of team management such as contract negotiations, roster management, collective bargaining matters, and various baseball related special projects.