Pirates Announce Team's New GM

Pirates president Frank Coonley introduced Neal Huntington as the new General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The 38-year-old is responsible for the entire baseball operations department andl oversees the major league club and scouting and player development systems of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“Neal’s hiring is the result of a comprehensive search for a baseball executive who could restore the culture of success within the Pirates organization,” said Coonelly. “Neal is extremely intelligent, analytical and driven to succeed. He shares my vision on how to transform the Pirates into an organization that can consistently compete. Equally important, Neal knows how to implement the changes, systems and philosophies required to accomplish that goal. He is absolutely the right choice to lead our baseball operations department and to build a winning organization of which all Pirate fans can be proud.”

Huntington has spent 16 seasons in professional baseball. The past 10 seasons he has served as a key member of the Cleveland Indians’ management team that rebuilt the Indians into a consistent winner by aggressively acquiring young talent through the draft, the international market and trades and developing that talent through a committed and focused minor league system.

Huntington, who becomes the 12th General Manager in Pirates history, has a strong desire for the position because of the opportunity for success.

“Pittsburgh is a proud sports city and the Pirates have a long and storied tradition. It is a tremendous honor to be named General Manager of this great franchise. We will systematically work to change the culture of this organization and to return it to a consistent winner for the city of Pittsburgh” said Huntington. “To achieve our goal, we will thoroughly evaluate and aggressively seek to acquire elite talent internationally and domestically. We will diligently cultivate that talent on and off the field in a process-oriented player development system that demands accountability and excellence from all staff and players. Lastly, we will utilize that talent to build our major league roster and put our team in the best possible position to succeed.”

He began his major league career in the Montreal Expos organization on June 1, 1992 and was raised in Amherst, New Hampshire, on a family-owned and operated dairy farm. He played four years of baseball at Amherst College in Massachusetts, where he graduated in 1991 with a degree in Psychology. During his career at Amherst, Huntington was also named a Division III second-team All-American first baseman and first-team All New England first baseman after his senior season. Neal also holds a Masters of Science in Sport Management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Huntington and his wife Becca have two sons, Connor and Will, and daughter Megan.