Former Yankees, Pirates Catcher Francisco Cervelli Named Team Italy Manager

Francisco Cervelli, who spent 13 seasons behind the plate for the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins, is replacing Mike Piazza as the skipper for Italy's national team.

Aug 15, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli (29) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Francisco Cervelli has been named the manager of Team Italy, the Italian Federation of Baseball and Softball announced Friday.

Cervelli, 38, was born and raised in Venezuela before turning pro with the New York Yankees in 2003. His father was Italian, though, so he played catcher for Team Italy in the 2009 and 2017 World Baseball Classics.

Italy previously had another former big league backstop as their manager, Mike Piazza, who has apparently been ousted in favor of Cervelli.

Cervelli made his MLB debut in 2008, then won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009. He remained with the club through 2014, batting .278 with 10 home runs, 92 RBI, a .729 OPS and a 4.3 WAR in 250 games.

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Cervelli in a trade ahead of the 2015 campaign, slotting him into a much more consistent role. Cervelli saw action in 450 games for the Pirates over the next five seasons, batting .264 with 26 home runs, 169 RBI, a .735 OPS and a 8.5 WAR.

Cervelli closed out 2019 with the Atlanta Braves, then finished his career with the Miami Marlins in 2020.

Across his 13 seasons in the big leagues, Cervelli hit .268 with 605 hits, 41 home runs, 102 doubles, 275 RBI, a .740 OPS and a 13.9 WAR. He racked up nearly $40 million in career earnings.

Cervelli's coaching experience is limited to one season as the San Diego Padres' catching coach in 2022, plus a year as Team Europe's special assistant to catching in 2024.

EuroBaseball 2025 is the next major event for Team Italy, followed by the World Baseball Classic in 2026. Piazza led Italy to a fifth-place finish at the 2023 WBC.

Italy will be part of Pool B in the 2026 WBC, playing its first contests in Houston. The United States, Mexico and United Kingdom make up the rest of the group.

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