Joey Cora to serve as Pirates’ third base coach

Cory Giger tweets that the Pirates will hire Joey Cora to replace Rick Sofield as their third base coach. Sofield was dismissed this weekend. Cora served as the Altoona Curve’s manager this year, leading them to a 76-64 record while coaching prospects like Austin Meadows, Reese McGuire, Harold Ramirez, Clay Holmes and Brandon Waddell.

From the outside, who can really tell, but this move certainly looks like it makes sense. Cora appears to be very qualified, and having already worked in the Pirates’ system, he’s likely already familiar with how they do things. Cora previously served as a third base coach and a bench coach for the White Sox. He also served as bench coach (and, briefly, interim manager) of the Marlins, and worked for the MLB Network.

Cora played 11 seasons in the majors as a second baseman and shortstop, suiting up with the Padres, White Sox, Mariners and Indians. The Padres drafted him in the first round in 1985.