Pirates announce overdue Derek Shelton firing after fans' complaints

After going 12-26 to star the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced Thursday that manager Derek Shelton has been relieved of his duties. Bench coach Don Kelly has been named manager, effective immediately.

“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,” 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 was hired by the Pirates in the 2019-20 offseason to replace longtime manager Clint Hurdle. It was Shelton's first Major League managerial role, as he had served as the bench coach for the Minnesota Twins prior to his hiring and been a big league hitting coach for the Cleveland Guardians from 2005-09 and the Tampa Bay Rays from 2010-16. The Toronto Blue Jays hired Shelton as a quality control coach in 2017, after which he spent two years in Minnesota.

Since taking over as the Pirates' manager in 2020, Shelton has amassed a record of 306-440. His .410 winning percentage is one of the worst in MLB history for a manager with six or more seasons. The Pirates have never tallied a winning season under Shelton and have never finished higher than fourth in the National League Central. Pittsburgh is also coming off back-to-back 76-win seasons after two consecutive seasons with 100 or more losses under Shelton's leadership.

Pirates announce overdue Derek Shelton firing, name Don Kelly manager

Kelly, a native of Butler, Pa., will get his first Major League managerial opportunity after serving as bench coach since 2019. He spent nine seasons in the big leagues as a player, making his debut with the Pirates in 2007 before spending the majority of his career with the Detroit Tigers. He also spent parts of two seasons with the Miami Marlins before retiring from playing in 2016.

“I believe strongly Donnie is the right person to manage this team right now,” Cherington said. “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.”

Kelly has spent the past five seasons at the Pirates' bench coach after holding the same position with the Houston Astros in 2019. He now faces the unenviable task of righting the Pirates' ship after a rocky first month has seen them tumble to the bottom of the NL Central as the third-worst team in baseball.

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