3 Pirates players who were most responsible for Derek Shelton's firing

The Derek Shelton decision was long overdue, as his in-game decision making was not very strong. Some may blame the front office for Shelton's struggles, and while cheapness and roster-building are certainly factors, Shelton did not help his case from the dugout. Shelton seemed to show loyalty to a handful of players, and their on-field struggles also contributed to his dismissal.

These three players in particular came with very high expectations attached, and Shelton kept them in incorrect roles for way too long. This stubbornness was a major factor in why the Pirates missed the postseason in 2024, giving too many chances to struggling players in key situations.

These three Pirates are most responsible for Derek Shelton's firing.

Colin Holderman

At the beginning of 2024, Colin Holderman was one of the best relievers in baseball, consistently putting up zeroes. Then the second half came around, and he consistently blew leads instead. During that cold stretch, Shelton continued to put Holderman into high-leverage situations, and time after time, he blew it. The right thing to do here would have been to let him work out of it in low-leverage situations earlier in the game, not the eighth inning within three runs.

Entering 2025, Holderman was given the setup role once again, and in the first weekend against Miami, he struggled even more, went on the injured list, returned, and blew it again in the eighth inning. Holderman struggling should have caused Shelton to change course, yet he continued to utilize his previously trusted arm in these crucial situations.

David Bednar

David Bednar's case is quite similar to what the Holderman experience was like. His struggles began a bit sooner in 2024, but Shelton simply would not take him out as the closer, costing Pittsburgh multiple games. Bednar being a hometown guy and two-time All-Star obviously influenced the decision to keep him in that role, but he just constantly blew games for Pittsburgh.

Bednar and Holderman are easily the most responsible parties here, just because of how much loyalty Shelton had in them. If these two would not have collapsed, the Pirates would have had a stronger chance of the postseason in 2024 and Shelton would likely still be the manager.

Tommy Pham

Lastly is Tommy Pham who, despite being with the Pirates for a little over a month, is still somewhat responsible for the manager's dismissal. Ben Cherington signed Pham to be the everyday starter and Shelton was stuck attempting to utilize him. Potentially weighing his salary and experience too heavily, Shelton continued to start him over players who were performing better (mainly Matt Gorski).

Pham is one of the worst hitters in baseball right now, and although that isn't necessarily Shelton's fault, he still would use him like he was one of the game's best. Sometimes he was in the cleanup spot, too, and it should go without saying that putting a guy with a sub-.500 OPS in the cleanup spot is absurd behavior.

These three players' performances definitely aided in creating the case for Shelton's dismissal due to continued misuse.