Pirates Promote Farm Director To New Role
The Pittsburgh Pirates' re-shuffling of their front office is still ongoing.
MLB.com's Alex Stumpf reported that the Pirates are promoting John Baker from director of coaching and player development to a new role that oversees team performance. Director of coaching and player development was a different title for farm director for Pittsburgh.
In his new role, Stumpf says Baker will be more involved in handling things throughout the organization, rather than focusing on the minor leagues. He will also be involved in the team's strength and conditioning and mental skills among other roles.
Baker was a catcher for the Miami Marlins (2008-2011), San Diego Padres (2012-2013) and Chicago Cubs (2014). Baker joined the Cubs' front office as a baseball operations assistant and was a mental skills coach before he was hired away by the Pirates to be their farm director in 2020.
The Pirates' pitching throughout their farm system became one of baseball's best under Baker. They developed 2024 National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes and Jared Jones and are now the only team to have three top-100 prospects in MLB Pipeline's rankings with right-handed pitchers Bubba Chandler (15), Braxton Ashcraft (85) and Thomas Harrington (91).
With the state of Pittsburgh's pitching, whoever replaces Baker will be tasked with trying to improve the development of its hitters and eventually getting it on par with the development of its pitchers.
