Pirates name Oscar Marin pitching coach

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Oscar Marin is the new pitching coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The team announced the move on Tuesday. Marin replaces Ray Searage, who was fired in October as part of a massive overhaul of the club’s leadership following a last-place finish in the NL Central.

The 37-year-old Marin spent last season as the bullpen coach for the Texas Rangers. Previous coaching stops include a two-year stint as minor league pitching coordinator for the Seattle Mariners and six years coaching in various levels of the Rangers’ minor league system.

Marin takes over a staff that has plenty of questions to answer heading into 2020. Ace Jameson Taillon will miss the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and the team will likely need a new closer with Felipe Vazquez jailed on numerous felony charges stemming from an improper sexual relationship with a minor.