Pirates name Minor League staffs for '16
PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates announced their Minor League managers, coaches and development staff on Tuesday.
The most significant addition is former Major League second baseman Joey Cora, who will manage Double-A Altoona in his first season with the Pirates. Cora played in the Majors from 1987-98, managed in the Minors from 2001-03, served on Ozzie Guillen's staff with the White Sox for eight seasons and also worked as Guillen's bench coach for the Marlins in 2012.
Tom Prince, who managed Altoona last season, has been named the Pirates' Minor League field coordinator. Coordinators Kimera Bartee (outfield/baserunning), Gary Green (infield), Scott Mitchell (pitching), Larry Sutton (hitting) and Dave Turgeon (instruction) will return in the same roles they each held last season.
Dean Treanor will be the manager at Triple-A Indianapolis for the sixth consecutive season. Under his guidance, the Indians went 83-61 in 2015, advancing to the Governors' Cup championship before losing in five games to Columbus.
Other returning managers are Michael Ryan at Class A Advanced Bradenton, Brian Esposito at Class A West Virginia, Wyatt Toregas at Class A Short-Season West Virginia, Edgar Varela at Rookie-level Bristol and Milver Reyes in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.
Mendy Lopez will manage the organization's Dominican Summer League team, while Gera Alvarez will oversee its Dominican academy.
Jamey Caroll, Grady Little and Kevin Young will return as special assistants on the Bucs' baseball-operations staff. Joining them in that role is Scott Elarton, who spent last year as the pitching coach for Bradenton. Prospects Jameson Taillon and Nick Kingham spoke highly of Elarton's work during their respective recoveries from Tommy John surgery.
Andy Barkett, a former Pirate, has joined the organization as an assistant hitting coordinator. Tom Filer, the pitching coach for West Virginia last season, will return to his role as an assistant pitching coordinator next year.
Gera Alvarez will also return as the coordinator of the Pirates' Dominican Summer League Academy, joined by Amaury Telemaco, continuing as the organization's Latin American pitching coordinator.
Woody Huyke will return as a senior advisor, player development, as he begins his 47th year as part of the Pirates organization. Mike Lum will return in the same role, as will Luis Silverio, the organization's senior advisor, Latin American operations.
Minor League signing
The Pirates have signed outfielder Antoan Richardson to a Minor League deal, according to CBS Sports.
Richardson, 32, has played only 22 games and made 21 plate appearances in the Majors. He is perhaps best remembered for sliding home on Derek Jeter's last hit at Yankee Stadium in 2014, a walk-off single to right field that scored Richardson from second.
Richardson should bolster the Pirates' Triple-A outfield depth and could be a threat on the basepaths late in the season, as he's stolen 328 bases over 11 seasons in the Minors.