Matt Hague leaves Toronto Blue Jays the coaching staff to become the Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach, according to TSN Blue Jays reporter Scott Mitchell.

Hague served as an assistant hitting coach under Guillermo Martinez on the 2024 big league team. Toronto parted ways with Martinez after the season and hired David Popkins to replace him.

According to Mitchell, Hague was popular with players and coaches and is now getting a promotion to work on Derek Shelton’s staff in Pittsburgh.

Hague, 39, served as hitting coach for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in 2023 after spending the previous two seasons with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, both Jays affiliates.

He also played in a total of 43 major league games split between the 2012, 2014 and 2015 seasons, spending his final year in the big leagues with the Blue Jays. He also won the International League Most Valuable Player award in 2015, playing in 136 games with the Bisons and hitting .338/.416/.469 with 11 home runs and 92 RBIs.