Sources: Pirates Lay Off 15 Baseball Operations Employees

The Pirates are "reshaping" their baseball operations department under new GM Ben Cherington, as the club announced layoffs for "around 15 people involved with baseball," according to sources cited by Jason Mackey of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. The move was made now to "allow those affected to figure out the next steps in their careers." The Pirates "will pay salaries through Oct. 31 and benefits through the end of the calendar year." The move was something the club "expected to do -- but not nearly this soon." Cherington for months has talked about "observing the way the Pirates do things, learning and eventually figuring out what to tweak and adjust, although he has never specifically mentioned laying people off." Meanwhile, a source said that the Pirates have "committed to paying their minor league players through July" and "anticipate doing so through the end of the season" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 6/27).