Pirates fans should be jealous of the Nationals’ accountability overhaul

The Pittsburgh Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton and replaced him with bench coach Don Kelly in early May. It was a popular move, but one they only got half right.

Shelton was one part of the problem in Pittsburgh. But even he wasn't responsible for constructing the complete mess of a roster that has left the Pirates banished to the bottom of the standings in practically every offensive category (with little, if any, hope on the horizon).

What the Pirates should have done was what the Washington Nationals did on Sunday, when they fired both manager Davey Martinez and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo in one fell swoop amid the organization's failed rebuild effort.

Nothing changes for the Pirates until the front office does, and the Nationals are proof positive that even July isn't too late to show some urgency in holding responsible parties accountable for their roles in a disastrous season.

Pirates fans should be jealous of the Nationals’ accountability overhaul

As the MLB trade deadline quickly approaches, the Pirates' disastrous series against the Seattle Mariners over the weekend is the kind of series that will likely leave several members of the roster questioning their long-term future with the franchise.

Now, if only the same could be said for the individuals who are actually responsible for this mess – namely, general manaager Ben Cherington and the rest of the suits sitting inside the offices at 115 Federal Street.

"You have to be honest about where you are right now and recognize, we're not like a win or two away, we're more than that," Cherington said when asked about the team's approach to the upcoming MLB trade deadline Sunday on his weekly radio show. "If you're more than that, then you have to be pretty open-minded about the things that have to happen to get to where we want to be and get there as fast as we can, at least put ourself in a position to have a chance to do that."

Now, if Cherington were really being "honest" about the numerous shortcomings on the Pirates' roster, he would acknowledge that nearly all of them were his own doing. Instead, he seems content to continue placing the blame on everyone but himself, and the Pirates will only continue to get worse as a result.

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