The Pittsburgh Pirates have fired manager Derek Shelton, the club announced on Thursday. The move comes after the team’s 12-26 start to the season and coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals. Bench coach Don Kelly has been named as Shelton’s replacement on an interim basis.
“Derek worked incredibly hard and sacrificed a lot over five-plus years. His family became a big part of the Pirates family, and we will miss that,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said in a statement. “He’s an incredibly smart, curious, and driven baseball leader. I believe he was the right person for the job when he was hired. I also believe that a change is now necessary. I wish Derek and his family all the best in their next chapter.”
Shelton, 54, had a record of 306-440 (.410) across parts of six seasons as Pirates manager. Along the way, Shelton endured back-to-back 100-loss seasons in 2021 and 2022 and never fared better than the 76-86 marks the Pirates achieved in each of the last two seasons. Under Shelton, the Pirates never finished better than fourth in the NL Central and on three occasions they finished in last place. This season, the Pirates have been undone by one of Major League Baseball’s worst offenses. At present, Pittsburgh ranks 29th in MLB in OPS and 29th in runs scored. At the same time, the Pirates never ranked higher than 26th in Opening Day payroll during Shelton’s tenure.
“Derek is a good man who did a lot for the Pirates and Pittsburgh, but it was time for a change,” Pirates owner Bob Nutting said in a statement. “The first quarter of the season has been frustrating and painful for all of us. We have to do better. I know that. Ben knows that. Our coaches know that. Our players know that.
“There is a lot of baseball left to be played. We need to act with a sense of urgency and take the steps necessary to fix this now to get back on track as a team and organization.”
As for Kelly, 45, he spent parts of nine MLB seasons as a utility player. While most of that time was with the Detroit Tigers, Kelly spent his first major-league season with the Pirates, attended college in Pittsburgh, and is a native of suburban Pittsburgh. After scouting in the Tigers organization, he spent the 2019 season as first base coach for the Houston Astros and has since served as the Pirates bench coach. Kelly becomes the 48th manager in Pirates franchise history.
“I believe strongly Donnie is the right person to manage the team right now,” said Cherington in the statement. “He has the skills and experience needed to do this job really well and deeply cares about the Pirates and Pittsburgh. I look forward to working with him even more closely.”
“Donnie is as respected as any person in our clubhouse and throughout our organization,” said Nutting via the club statement. “He is a Pirate. He bleeds black and gold. No one is more committed, and no one loves this team or city more than Donnie. He is the right person to manage our team and help get us back on track.”
Kelly inherits a Pirates team whose struggles precede Shelton’s tenure as manager. Pittsburgh hasn’t recorded a winning season since 2018, hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015, and hasn’t won a playoff game since 2013. Under Nutting, who’s owned the team since 2007, the Pirates have never run an Opening Day payroll that ranked higher than 24th in MLB. On three occasions, Nutting has run the lowest Opening Day payroll in all of MLB.
The current Pirates roster includes Paul Skenes, who in just his second major-league season is in the discussion for best pitcher in baseball, as well as star center fielder Oneil Cruz. Skenes is under team control through the 2029 season, while Cruz is slated for free agency after the 2028 season. As for long-term salary commitments, right-hander Mitch Keller is under contract through 2028, third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes through at least 2029, and outfielder Bryan Reynolds through at least 2030.
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