Derek Shelton's bold statement about Pirates emphasizes front office must help roster

The National League Central Division title is anyone's to win in 2025, and Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton knows it. The fans know it, too. Perhaps the only people who don't know it are general manager Ben Cherington and the rest of Pittsburgh's front office.

During a guest appearance Monday on “MLB Tonight” at the MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas, Shelton was asked if he had been "pounding the table" demanding the Pirates add some hitters to their starting lineup.

“I don’t know if there’s any pounding the table, but we are talking about it," Shelton said. "I think your point is right: This is a division that we can win because our starting pitching is really good. We do need to add bats. We do have a pretty good core with Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz and, last year, Joey Bart turned into a good offensive player. So we’re in a good spot. We do need to add those things, but I feel really good with where we’re at.”

Shelton's not wrong about the Pirates needing to add some bats, but it's also not his job to build the roster. Is it possible that he was meant to send a message to the team's front office?

Derek Shelton's bold statement about Pirates emphasizes front office must help roster

The Pirates had one of the best starting rotations in baseball in 2024, and that appears to be the case again in 2025. Even with the departure of Luis Ortiz in the trade with the Cleveland Guardians for first baseman Spencer Horwitz, the Pirates have plenty of internal options – Johan Oviedo and top prospect Bubba Chandler, among others – to replace him.

The Pirates' rotation is built for October; now, they just need the offense to match. Sure, Horwitz profiles as a solid, middle-of-the-lineup hitter, but his bat lacks the power expected from the first base position (the kind of power the Pirates desperately need).

After a 76-86 finish for the second consecutive season, something has to change in Pittsburgh. Good pitching will only carry them so far.

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