Twins are about to learn the hard Derek Shelton truth that crushed Pirates' hope

Former Pittsburgh Pirates skipper Derek Shelton has landed with a new team, with multiple sources reporting that the Minnesota Twins have hired him as their next manager.

Shelton, who was fired by the Pirates in May, went 306-440 in his five-plus seasons with Pittsburgh. The Pirates won less than 40 percent of their games in Shelton's first three seasons before finally taking a step forward in 2023 when the club won 76 games. But after stagnation in 2024 and regression in early 2025, the Pirates moved on and replaced Shelton with Don Kelly.

Unfortunately for Twins fans, they just signed up to learn what Pirates fans spent five years figuring out the hard way.

Twins fans are about to learn the Derek Shelton truth Pirates fans know all too well

Shelton spent two years as the bench coach in Minnesota from 2018-19 before coming to Pittsburgh. He built his reputation as a likable, steady-hand type of manager – a “players’ manager” who preaches communication, keeps the clubhouse calm and doesn’t rock the boat.

Early on, Pirates players said they appreciated Shelton's demeanor during a rebuild, and that’s exactly what makes him appealing on paper to the Twins. But the reality is that his calm exterior often masks a deep passivity. When a team needs urgency, accountability, or in-game assertiveness, Shelton's default mode is indecision. Pittsburgh fans watched this on repeat – questionable bullpen usage, lifeless lineups and a refusal to make tough calls until it was too late.

One of the biggest frustrations in Pittsburgh was Shelton’s game management. Whether it was burning through relievers too early, leaving starters in too long or misusing pinch hitters, the Pirates constantly lost winnable games because of managerial inertia.

Pirates fans eventually realized that Shelton’s greatest flaw wasn’t strategy, but rather accountability. Under his leadership, poor fundamentals, base running blunders and defensive lapses became routine. He rarely called out mistakes publicly or benched repeat offenders. It created a culture where mediocrity festered. Even talented players stagnated because the standard never rose. For a Twins club that prides itself on development and discipline, this could be a rude awakening.

In Pittsburgh, every offseason began with talk of “turning the corner.” But the same issues persisted under Shelton – inconsistency, lack of offensive identity, and a startling inability to compete against better-prepared teams. The Pirates’ young core grew older, but not necessarily better. Shelton was a stabilizer for a rebuild, not a leader for a contender – and the Twins just hired someone built for survival, not advancement.

If the Twins expect to take the next step toward true contention, they may soon find that Shelton is the kind of manager who keeps the ship afloat, but never steers it anywhere new.