The Pirates may be headed into the offseason with continuity on Don Kelly’s staff, but that plan could get complicated fast if Seattle comes calling for Kristopher Negrón.
Pittsburgh isn’t expected to overhaul Kelly’s coaching group after finishing 82-80, the franchise’s first winning season since 2018. Kelly is safe after landing a contract extension following the 2025 season, and general manager Ben Cherington recently said he is “clearly the right person to manage this team.” Still, one coaching vacancy elsewhere could force the Pirates into at least one adjustment.
That opening is in Seattle, where the Mariners are beginning their search for Dan Wilson’s replacement. Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reported that the process is expected to pick up this week, and he noted that after hiring Scott Servais and Wilson without prior major-league managerial experience, Seattle may place more value on previous managing experience this time around.
Negrón is on the list of candidates to watch. The connection is an obvious one.
Before Pittsburgh hired him as Kelly’s bench coach last offseason, he had spent years in the Mariners organization. Seattle hired him as assistant director of player development in 2019, then had him manage Triple-A Tacoma in 2021.
From there, he moved onto the Mariners’ major-league staff and worked as both first-base and third-base coach from 2022 through 2025. He also got a brief taste of managing at the big-league level in 2022, when he served as Seattle’s acting manager while Servais and bench coach Manny Acta were away from the club after contracting COVID-19.
Jude described Negrón as someone who has “long been viewed as a coach on the rise in the industry.” For the Pirates, that kind of rising stock can turn into an offseason problem.
The value Negrón brings to Pittsburgh is clear. As bench coach, he’s one of Kelly’s most important sounding boards, especially with Kelly still early in his managerial career.
Negrón’s background stretches across player development, minor-league managing and major-league coaching, giving the Pirates a versatile staffer with experience in multiple parts of an organization. Replacing that mix wouldn’t be simple.
If Pittsburgh does need another experienced voice next to Kelly, Clint Hurdle is an obvious name to keep in mind. Hurdle managed the Pirates from 2011 to 2019 and guided them to three straight postseason trips, and he recently said he “always answers my phone when it rings” when asked about possibly returning to the organization in some role.
That said, being listed as a candidate doesn’t guarantee Negrón will get the Seattle job, or even interview. The Mariners could decide they want someone with deeper MLB managerial experience, which would work against him. But his history with the organization makes him a real factor, not just a name on a speculative list.
For now, the Pirates were looking like they might get through the offseason without much staff drama. Seattle’s search could change that quickly. If the Mariners decide Negrón is the right fit, Pittsburgh may suddenly be looking for a new No. 2 on Kelly’s staff.
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