Reports: Philadelphia native Sarah Gelles hired as Pittsburgh Pirates assistant general manager
The Astros’ director of research and development reportedly was hired into a new role.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are hiring Philadelphia native Sarah Gelles to serve as assistant general manager, according to reports from The Athletic and MLB.com.
She spent the last five years with the Houston Astros as director of research and development. During Gelles’ time in the organization, the Astros won four division titles, three American League pennants, and one World Series in 2022 against the Phillies. Gelles is one of the highest-ranking women in baseball operations across MLB and will be the highest-ranking woman on the Pirates’ baseball operations team.
Gelles, the daughter of former Inquirer reporter and columnist Jeff Gelles, grew up a Phillies fan and attended Germantown Friends. She started her career as a baseball operations intern with the Phillies and later interned for the Pirates’ research and development team. After graduating from Amherst College, she started working for MLB in the commissioner’s office on labor relations before moving to the team side to work in the Orioles’ research and development department.
She ultimately was promoted to director of analytics and major league contracts during her time in the Orioles’ organization from 2011 to 2018 before departing for Houston after the 2018 season.
» READ MORE: Sarah Edwards is the first female on-field coach in Phillies history
The Athletic listed Gelles as one of its baseball executives on the rise early Thursday before the news of her new position, praising her skill in building the Astros’ top-tier player development system and in managing her team.
The Pirates finished fourth in the NL Central last season with a 76-86 record and selected LSU pitcher Paul Skenes No. 1 overall in the 2023 draft.
Gelles will work under general manager Ben Cherington as the Pirates look to continue their rebuild and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.