Pirates extended John Russell, Neal Huntington

The Pirates quietly extended the contracts of manager John Russell and general manager Neal Huntington over the offseason without making a public announcement. It is an interesting move, in large part because practically every transaction made by the club can be found within the week it happens on the teams official website.

"I really thought the public discussion of the manager and general manager's contract length just raised constant questions about, 'Are you going to dismiss? Are you going to extend? '" Coonelly said. "The better policy is direct communication with the employees, making sure they understand the goals and the standards by which their performance is measured."

Obviously the team did not want to further disappoint fans after a 99-loss season, but want to keep a constant staff as the team tries to build from within. With Pedro Alvarez now in the majors, the Pirates should have a better idea of how the team will perform over the next few seasons.