Tommy WildSat, November 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM UTC·2 min readThe Pittsburgh Pirates may do the unthinkable and shock MLB by spending some big money in free agency this offseason to give Paul Skenes and the rest of the solid pitching staff some support.
However, the Pirates have already made one shocking move this offseason, and that’s hiring a new pitching coach after dismissing Oscar Marin from his duties after six seasons in that role.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe shocking piece to this is that, considering all of the areas where Pittsburgh has underachieved over the last few seasons, pitching hasn’t been one of them.
The Pirates posted a team ERA of 3.76 in 2025, the third-best in the National League. Yes, a lot of that was thanks to Skenes’ Cy Young season, but Pittsburgh still had some other solid arms on the staff, too, including Mitch Keller, Bailey Falter, and Dennis Santana.
Ultimately, Don Kelly felt “like we needed a new voice at the top of the pitching team to continue to challenge these guys and keep pushing them forward.” (Quote via MLB.com)
With how young the Pittsburgh pitching staff is, this is definitely a fair expectation for Kelly to have.
Jun 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly (12) walks back to the dugout before a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesThe person the Pirates believe has what it takes to take the staff to the next level is Bill Murphy, as the 36-year-old has taken over as Pittsburgh’s new pitching coach for the 2026 season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhat exactly is Kelly expecting of Murphy, after letting go of someone who was widely regarded as a successful coach in that role?
"I think it's just continuing to challenge the guys to push them to continue to get better. The pitching staff is the foundation. Really believe strongly in [Murphy's] skill set, the knowledge and the communication style that he brings from Houston to accomplish that,” continued Kelly.
It doesn’t matter how much money the Pirates spend on the open market if that’s the route they choose to go in this offseason.
As the skipper noted, the backbone of this staff is the pitching staff, and if Pittsburgh has any hopes of shocking baseball and becoming a playoff contender in 2026, it’ll be because of the development of the young arms in the organization.
The Pirates clearly have faith in Murphy that he can help elevate the pitching staff to get there.
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