Triple-A pitching coach Joel Hanrahan leaving Pirates to 'look for other opportunities'

Less than two months after being named the organization’s minor league coach of the year, Joel Hanrahan announced Wednesday on Twitter that he is leaving the Pittsburgh Pirates.

A two-time All-Star closer who pitched for the Pirates from 2009-12, Hanrahan was the pitching coach for their Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis last season. Hanrahan began his coaching career with short-season Bristol in 2017 and has served as a pitching coach at Low-A West Virginia in 2018, Double-A Altoona in 2019 and at the alternate training site at Altoona in 2020.

“After 5 years coaching with the Pirates I have decided to move on and look for other opportunities,” Hanrahan wrote on Twitter. “Thank you to the Pirates for giving my first shot at coaching. I wish all the players, coaches and organization the best. I’m looking forward to a new challenge and opportunity.”

After 5 years coaching with the Pirates I have decided to move on and look for other opportunities. Thank you to the Pirates for giving my first shot at coaching. I wish all the players, coaches and organization the best. I’m looking forward to a new challenge and opportunity.

— Joel Hanrahan (@hanrahan52) December 15, 2021

The Pirates honored Hanrahan in October with the Danny Murtaugh minor league coach of the year, awarded to the minor league coach who made the biggest impact on the development of talent throughout the season. It is named in honor of the late Pirates manager who led them to World Series championships in 1960 and ‘71.

Upon announcing the award, Pirates farm director John Baker said Hanrahan did a “fantastic job” communicating with major league pitching coach Oscar Marin, bullpen coach Justin Meccage and minor league pitching coordinator Josh Hopper and relaying their message to pitching prospects.

“Having been a two-time All-Star, having pitched out of the bullpen before, having pitched in Pittsburgh before is sometimes a strike against when you’re coaching a younger player,” Baker said. “But he leveraged both his relationship ability, his experience but also exemplified the mindset of taking this new information and accepting it and putting it into practice.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton also was complimentary of how Hanrahan handled so many pitchers going back and forth between Triple-A and the major leagues this season because of injuries and inconsistency. Hanrahan also worked with Pirates starter Mitch Keller, who was demoted after struggling early in the season.

“When you have a guy down there with his pedigree, and what he’s done, sometimes with Triple-A hitters, you have to have very challenging conversations, and I think ‘Hanny’ does an excellent job with those and how it’s going to translate to coming to the big leagues.

“And I think you’ve seen with our guys that have come to the big leagues, especially this year, that we’re seeing the things that we’ve outline developmentally-wise, they’re doing and getting better at. And that’s a direct reflection of the job he’s doing.”

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington spoke glowingly of Hanrahan in October, calling him someone “we love and are glad he’s a Pirate.” But they didn’t make room for Hanrahan on their major league staff, replacing only hitting coach Rick Eckstein and third base coach Joey Cora after going 61-101 and finishing in last place in the NL Central.