3 former Pirates players who could make good Derek Shelton replacements

The Pittsburgh Pirates are stuck in one of their roughest slides in franchise history. After heading into August above .500 and well within reaching distance of a playoff spot, they have now won just a single game in August and are in an eight-game losing streak at the time of writing this. A lot of the blame is going toward manager Derek Shelton, and rightfully so.

He’s in his fourth full year as the Pirates’ manager (fifth if you count 2020). He has made many managerial blunders this year, especially throughout their last homestand, which could represent the nail in the coffin for this team. After making progress last season, the Pirates may stall out once again. If that happens to be the case, Pittsburgh should be on the lookout for a new leader.

There are plenty of managers out there looking for a job, but many current managers were former pro players who were given a chance to lead. A good portion of active managers played in Major League Baseball at some point during their careers. So, if the Pirates want a manager with experience as a player, who are some potential candidates (who once donned a Pirates jersey as a player) that could come in and help the team out as a coach?

Rod Barajas

Rod Barajas is a former 14-season MLB veteran catcher. He appeared in every year from 1999 through 2012. He hit 136 home runs and ended his career in Pittsburgh. Through his final season in the big leagues, Barajas hit .206/.283/.343 with a 73 OPS+, had -21 defensive runs saved, and only caught 6% of would-be base stealers.

His days as a player came to an unceremonious end, but Barajas is the most qualified former player of anyone on our list today. After his retirement in 2013, Barajas was named the manager for the San Diego Padres’ Arizona League affiliate team the following year. He would then go on to manage the San Antonio Missions, the Padres’ Double-A team, midway through the 2015 season, followed by their Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas, in 2016. For what it’s worth, the Chihuahuas played above .500 in each of the three seasons Barajas was their manager.

After 2018, Barajas then joined the Padres’ major league coaching staff as a bench coach. At the end of 2019, he was named the interim manager, though he would only manage eight games in a season that was already in the toilet for San Diego. After ‘19, he returned to a catching coach role for the Padres. After leaving San Diego, he was brought into Miami as a quality control coach, and in his first season in this role, the Marlins made the playoffs.

Barajas was also a leader in the Pirates’ clubhouse during his playing days. He started the Zoltan “Z” in 2012, which was the main theme the Pirates adopted during their 2013-2015 playoff runs. A.J. Burnett also gave high praise for his work as well. Most catchers naturally have good leadership skills, and Barajas has proven to possess plenty, as a player, coach, and manager. He should be the Pirates’ first option if they look for an innovative new manager this offseason.

Francisco Cervelli

The Pirates acquired Francisco Cervelli in the 2014-2015 offseason, and he became a stalwart for the team until 2019. In those five seasons, Cervelli hit .264/.362/.374 with a 101 OPS+. Cervelli put up quality defensive numbers with +9 defensive runs saved and +18.9 framing runs. Cervelli retired after the 2020 season, spending his last year in the big leagues with the Miami Marlins.

After his playing days were over, Cervelli was brought in by the San Diego Padres after Barajas' departure as a catching instructor for the 2022 season, and worked under three-time Manager of the Year Bob Melvin. Cervelli also took over as a special assistant to catching for Team Europe in the Global Baseball Games.

In an interview in Feburary 2024, Cervelli himself said he thinks he has a future as a baseball coach. Given Cervelli’s recent experience in a role with leadership, his ability to work with players when he was a catcher, and his potential desire to take up a coaching role, the Pirates should consider Cervelli as a potential manager option if they are on the lookout for one this upcoming offseason.

Clint Barmes

Clint Barmes played parts of 13 MLB seasons from 2003 through 2015. Three of those years were spent with the Pirates, specifically from 2012 through 2014. Barmes wasn’t much of a batter during those three years, slashing just .224/.271/.314 with a 64 OPS+, but he provided strong defense at shortstop with +22 defensive runs saved, +25 total zone runs, a +4.5 UZR/150, and +3.8 defensive WAR.

Barmes played his last season in the big leagues in 2015 with the San Diego Padres. Since retiring, Barmes has coached at the high school level since 2018. His first gig was at Berthoud High School as an assistant coach. He is currently a coach for the North Side Dirt Devils, a fall and winter high school team.

Barmes was essentially the captain of the Pirates’ infield during the three seasons he played for the Bucs and is the only non-catcher on today’s list. Travis Sawchik’s “Big Data Baseball,” which tells the story of how the 2013 Pirates were built, gave high praise for Barmes’ baseball instincts. In 2015, during his final year with the Padres, teammates Jedd Gyorko, Alexi Amarista, and Cory Spangenberg also praised his leadership and his ability to help mentor them and other younger Padres of the time.