Twins Reportedly Hiring Derek Shelton as Manager

The Twins opted not to bring back Rocco Baldelli after a 92-loss season, Minnesota’s worst since the 2016 campaign. Per reports, Derek Shelton, who spent parts of six seasons as manager of the Pirates, will replace Baldelli for the 2026 campaign.

Per the New York Post, the Twins hired ex-Pirates manager Derek Shelton to replace manager Rocco Baldelli. Shelton was among the finalists for the job, a list that reportedly included Yankees hitting coach James Rowson, Cubs coach Ryan Flaherty, and ex-Mariners manager Scott Servais.

Shelton was the Pirates’ manager from 2020 through the first 38 games of 2025. He was let go in the spring and replaced by Don Kelly, who went 59-65 and ultimately re-signed as the Pirates’ full-time manager.

The Pirates were in the midst of an extensive rebuild during Shelton’s tenure as manager. The 55-year-old oversaw a 19-41 season in 2020, plus 100+ loss campaigns in 2021 and 2022. His high-water marks came in 2023 and 2024, as the Pirates won 76 games in both seasons.

He’ll likely oversee one in Minnesota, as the Twins traded away several key contributors to the team’s 2023 AL Central-winning team. Carlos Correa, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, and Jhoan Duran were among the dealt players.

However, the Twins’ situation is somewhat different. Minnesota has good young hitters already at the MLB level, including Luke Keaschall and Brooks Lee. Additionally, former first-rounders Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper are close to the MLB level.

As for the pitching, Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan are on the Twins’ roster for now. Both are under team control through the 2027 season.

Shelton became the fifth manager to be hired this winter. Kurt Suzuki (Angels), Craig Albernaz (Orioles), Tony Vitello (Giants), and Skip Schumaker (Rangers) were previously hired for managerial vacancies this past month.