Ray Searage On His Contract Status: 'I'm Gonna Be A Pirate'
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) - It recently became known that Pirates' pitching coach Ray Searage is in the final year of his deal with the team and many have grown concerned about his future as he is the mastermind behind the team's reclamation projects.
General Manager Neal Huntington recently told Ron Cook of The Cook and Poni Show that he's confident Searage will remain with the Pirates.
Pirates GM Neal Huntington on Ray Searage, who went to spring training in the final year of his contract: "Ray's not going anywhere ..."
— Ron Cook (@RonCookPG) April 1, 2016
More Huntington on Searage: "You can say I said with conviction that this won't be Ray's last year with us."
— Ron Cook (@RonCookPG) April 1, 2016
Huntington was otherwise cryptic about Searage and wouldn't confirm a contract extension. "We don't talk about our contracts."
— Ron Cook (@RonCookPG) April 1, 2016
To calm Pirates fans fears even more though, Joe Starkey of The Starkey and Mueller Show went right to the source and asked Searage about his status.
"We don't usually talk about our contracts and stuff, the coaches don't," Searage said. "If the cat is going to be let out of the bag, then that's going to come from the man [Neal Huntington]."
When told that fans get nervous about the idea of losing Searage he gave us a little insight to how he thinks things will play out.
"I'm gonna be a Pirate, and the Pirates have always taken care of me. I don't foresee anything changing," he said.
Click the audio link below to hear more from Searage as he goes in-depth about what they've done to make Juan Nicasio a dominant pitcher and Gerrit Cole's excitement for his debut this season.