Pirates draws Derek Shelton: the manager ousted in sixth season with Pittsburgh in the middle of another disappointing year

Pittsburgh pirates dismissed the director Derek Shelton, the club announced on Thursday. This decision comes after the start of the team's 12-26 season and released a three-game scan in the hands of the rival of Division St. Louis Cardinals. Bench coach Don Kelly has been appointed replacement of Shelton on a provisional basis.

“Derek has worked incredibly hard and has sacrificed more than five years. His family has become a large part of the Pirate family, and that will be missing,” said Pirate Director, Ben Cherington, in a statement. “He is an incredibly intelligent, curious and motivated baseball chief. I think he was the right person for work 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, 54, had a record of 306-440 (.410) on parts of six seasons as manager of the pirates. Along the way, Shelton endured consecutive seasons of 100 breaks in 2021 and 2022 and never succeeded better than the 76-86 points that the pirates have reached in each of the last two seasons. Under Shelton, the pirates have never finished better than the fourth in the central NL and three times, they finished in the last place. This season, the pirates have been canceled by one of the worst offenses from the Major Baseball League. Currently, Pittsburgh ranks 29th in MLB in ops and 29th in marked points. At the same time, the pirates have never ranked higher than the 26th of the opening day during Shelton's mandate.

“Derek is a good man who did a lot for pirates and pittsburgh, but it was time to change,” said the owner of the pirates, Bob Nutting, in a statement. “The first quarter of the season was frustrating and painful for all of us. We have to do better. I know it. Well know it. Our coaches know it. Our players know it.

“There is still a lot of baseball to play. We have to act with a feeling of emergency and take the necessary steps to solve this problem now to get back on the right team and organization.”

The first layoffs of the manager, last 15 MLB seasons

As for Kelly, 45, he spent nine MLB seasons as a public service player. While most of this time was with the Detroit Tigers, Kelly spent her first major league season with pirates, frequented the university in Pittsburgh and is from the suburbs of Pittsburgh. After screening for the Tigers organization, he spent the 2019 season as a first base coach for the Houston Astros and has since served as coach of the Pirates bench. Kelly becomes the 48th manager in the history of the Pirate franchise.

“I believe that Donnie strongly is the right person to manage the team right now,” said Cherington in the press release. “He has the skills and experience necessary to do this work very well and deeply cares about pirates and pittsburgh. I can't wait to work with him even more closely.”

“Donnie is also respected that everyone in our clubhouse and in all our organization,” said Nutting via the club press release. “He is a pirate. He is bleeding from black and gold. No one is no longer committed, and nobody loves this team or this city that Donnie. He is the right person to manage our team and help us get back on the right track.”

Kelly inherits a pirate team whose difficulties precede Shelton's mandate as a manager. Pittsburgh has not recorded a winning season since 2018, has not made the playoffs since 2015 and has not won an eliminatory match since 2013. Under Nutting, which has owned the team since 2007, the pirates have never led a pay of the opening day which ranked 24th in MLB. On three occasions, Nutting has executed the lowest wage bill in the MLB.

The current alignment of pirates includes Paul Skenes, who, in his second major season, is in the discussion of the best launcher in baseball, as well as the Star Center Oneil Cruz field player. Skenes is under the control of the team throughout the 2029 season, while Cruz is planned for the free agency after the 2028 season. As for the long -term salary commitments, the right -hander Mitch Keller is under contract until 2028, the third basic player Ke'bryan Hayes until 2029 and the Bryan Reynolds aerobatman until 2030 at least.