BREAKING: Pirates Part Ways With Andy Haines as Part of Staff Changes

Derek Shelton’s coaching staff is going to look different in 2025. The Pittsburgh Pirates have parted ways with hitting coach Andy Haines and bullpen coach Justin Meccage, a source confirmed to Pittsburgh Baseball Now.

Haines was hired by the Pirates ahead of the 2022 season following his dismissal from the same position for the Milwaukee Brewers, where he was in place for three seasons. Under Haines’ guidance, the Pirates’ offense has been near the bottom of the league in most major offensive categories in each year of his tenure.

This past season, the Pirates had the fourth-lowest OPS among all 30 Major League teams at .672 and ranked 25th in baseball with 160 home runs. Additionally, the offense ranked 23rd in batting average (.234), 24th in runs (665), 26th in on-base percentage (.301) and 27th in slugging (.371).

The Pirates struck out a whopping 1,506 times this season, which in addition to being the fourth-most in baseball set a franchise record for most strikeouts in a season.

Several key players either failed to make an impact at the big league level this past season or regressed. After leading the Pirates in home runs and OPS in 2023, Jack Suwinski slashed a lowly .182/.264/.324 with nine home runs in 88 games.

2021 top pick Henry Davis again looked overmatched after he struggled in his debut season in 2023. In 37 games with the Pirates this season, Davis hit a dreadful .144 with a .453 OPS and struck out 45 times in 122 plate appearances.

Additionally, trade deadline acquisitions Bryan De La Cruz and Isiah Kiner-Falefa struggled upon their arrivals to Pittsburgh after posting solid numbers prior to their respective trades.

As for Meccage, he was added to the Pirates’ staff in 2018 under then-manager Clint Hurdle and became the bullpen coach for the 2020 season. The bullpen was expected to be the strength for the 2024 season but Pirates’ relievers finished 27th in ERA (4.49).

After two-straight All-Star campaigns from 2022-23, David Bednar finished the season 3-8 with a 5.77 ERA and blew seven saves in 30 chances.

Bednar’s regression was a big reason for the bullpen struggles but there were additional factors that resulted in Meccage’s dismissal. As a team, the Pirates blew 29 saves on the season, tied for the third-most in MLB.

General manager Ben Cherington said towards the end of the season the he fully expected Shelton to return as manager in 2025. After a second-half collapse that resulted in an identical 76-86 record as they had in 2023, the Pirates deemed changes to his staff were necessary as they look to take a step forward next season.