Former Pirates infielder Carlos Garcia today was promoted to take both jobs vacated when the club and Perry Hill couldn't reach an agreement, causing the Pirates to exercise his option and Hill to return home to his family in Texas.

Garcia, 42, who spent the past two season's as the club's minor-league infield coordinator, will serve as the major-league team's infield instructor and first base coach, as Hill had in 2009.

"Carlos Garcia adds another experienced baseball man to John Russell's staff," general manager Neal Huntington said in a statement announcing the move. "His years as a player, minor-league infield coordinator and major-league coach, combined with his energy and abilities as an instructor, make him a great addition to our big-league staff."

Garcia played from 1990-96 with the Pirates, Toronto in 1997, Anaheim in 1998 and San Diego in 1999. He served as Cleveland's hitting and infield coach in Class AAA Buffalo in 2003-04 and spent the next three seasons as the Seattle Mariners' third base coach and infield instructor. The Mariners in 2005, much like the Pirates under Hill in 2009, topped the American League in fielding percentage. They finished in the top five in Garcia's other two seasons with Seattle, 2006-07.

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