Over the weekend the Pittsburgh Pirates announced two changes to their Major League coaching staff. The team announced that third base coach Rick Sofield had been let go. Meanwhile, first base coach Nick Leyva has been re-assigned within the organization.
On top of being the third base coach, Sofield was also the Pirates’ outfield and base running coach. Meanwhile, Leyva handled infield duties in addition to being the first base coach. Under the coaching of Sofield the Pirates’ outfield defense and base running had both struggled in recent years, especially in 2016.