The Pirates on Thursday "laid off more than two dozen people, including several department heads, as part of a massive reorganization that was hastened by the coronavirus pandemic," according to sources cited by Jason Mackey of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Some of those affected had been "with the club for decades, overseeing such things as business analytics, ticket sales and hospitality." A source said COVID-19 "probably expedited the process of evaluating staffing structure and job functions throughout the entire organization." Regardless, the "result became eliminating some positions and changing the responsibilities of others." One source said the number affected was "believed to be around 25" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 6/26). In Pittsburgh, Kevin Gorman noted the moves "didn’t affect the team’s baseball operations but either eliminated positions or redefined roles throughout the organization, an examination process expected" under new Pirates President Travis Williams. The Pirates already furloughed "about 20% of their employees, including 40% of their business operations, in May while MLB was shut down" (TRIBLIVE.com, 6/25).
