Joey Cora, the third base coach of the Pirates and the brother of Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, has been let go by Pittsburgh, the team announced Saturday.

"We would like to thank Joey for his passion for the job and his commitment in continuously helping our players grow as big leaguers," general manager Ben Cherington said in a statement. "Even though this was a difficult decision, we wanted to make it now out of respect for Joey so that it allows him to immediately be able to pursue other opportunities. We wish Joey nothing but the best moving forward.

"Joey Cora is a great baseball man whose love for the game and passion for the job was obvious every day that he represented the Pittsburgh Pirates," added Pirates manager Derek Shelton. "I want to thank him for his commitment to the organization along with all the time and dedication that he gave to our players."

Cora, 56, played 11 seasons in the majors for the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians.

After retiring, he served as a coach under former White Sox and Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen. He started working for the Pirates as the team's third base coach in 2017.