Matt Hague leaves Blue Jays to take over as hitting coach for the Pirates

The 39-year-old former major leaguer replaces Andy Haines, who was fired at the end of the season after three years in the role.  

Hague spent five years in the Blue Jays organization and was promoted to major league assistant hitting coach in January 2024.  

Ben Cherington, general manager of the Pirates, has a good idea of how Toronto’s current regime operates. He served as the Blue Jays vice-president of baseball operations from September 2016 through the end of the 2019 season. 

While working with the triple-A Buffalo Bisons, Hague developed a strong working relationship with several current Blue Jays, including Davis Schneider, Spencer Horwitz, and Ernie Clement.  

The Blue Jays hired former Minnesota Twins hitting coach David Popkins as their new hitting coach last month, replacing Guillermo Martinez.