Should Pirates follow MLB insider's advice and finish off a surprise extension?

Following a 5-0 loss by the Cardinals in St. Louis on May 7 the Pittsburgh Pirates were in dire straits, already sitting 10 games adrift of the NL Central summit with a 12-26 record which was third-worst in baseball. As a result, manager Derek Shelton was relieved of his duties and replaced by Pittsburgh native Don Kelly.

There were those who questioned the wisdom of promoting the Pirates bench coach, with Kelly having no experience as a manager in the majors. Although after just one winning season in the past nine years, it really couldn't hurt to take a different approach, with the organization subsequently having reaped the benefits of their decision and leading to a proclamation by MLB insider Jon Heyman.

We appreciate critics will argue a 16-16 record by Kelly doesn't exactly stand out per se, which is correct, but this is the Pirates we're talking about here! At the same time however, is the 45-year-old truly worthy of what would prove to be a surprise extension if it came to fruition?

Should Don Kelly become the long-term manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates?

On a basic level the answer should be no, with Kelly being so early into his Major League managerial career. When the hire was made, all Ben Cherington said was that it was permanent for the remainder of 2025, with the Pirates' general manager refusing to look past the current season.

This is entirely understandable and smart, but if Kelly continues as he has then it's going to only become harder to deny him a contract extension given everything he's achieved thus far. He has galvanized a moribund franchise which has been the worst in the majors this century and has just six playoff appearances since their last World Series championship in 1979.

What makes Kelly's impact even more impressive is that it's come against the backdrop of several injuries, with the biggest loss being No. 2 starter Jared Jones. He's out until next year after undergoing UCL surgery to his right elbow, not helping a rotation which was also compromised by Carmen Mlodzinski struggling and having to be optioned to the minors last month (before coming back in a bullpen role).

In fairness, even allowing for having the sensational Paul Skenes, the rotation has overall been extremely effective. As of Friday morning they rank seventh in the majors in ERA, fifth in WHIP and eighth in opposing team batting average, with Bailey Falter being the prime example of someone who has improved since Kelly became manager.

There are plenty of aspects which someone might point to as having contributed to Kelly's initial success in Pittsburgh, with a huge emphasis on his familiarity with and love for the Pirates and the city. He previously played for the team during his Major League career, had been a bench coach for them since being hired prior to the 2020 season and is as respected as anyone in the clubhouse.

Look, the reality is that it's way too early to be making a decision which will impact the future, with Kelly still having plenty of work to do to prove himself, particularly with an offense which has scored the second-fewest runs in baseball. Make no mistake though, the early signs are extremely promising, and if he continues down his current path for the remainder of this season then Cherington will do well to get the manager tied down to an extension.

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