Derek Shelton becomes fall guy for Pirates' offseason failures

The writing was on the wall for Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton.

The Pirates were an intriguing team heading into the 2025 season. A rotation led by burgeoning star Paul Skenes, an impressive crop of young pitching prospects on the cusp of reaching the majors and progression from their younger players led to the hope that the Pirates would take the next step toward contention.

Instead, the Pirates are back in the NL Central basement with a 12-26 record heading into Thursday, 10 games behind first. The Pirates have the third-worst record in the majors, ahead of the moribund White Sox and Rockies. Someone had to take the fall for that performance.

The axe fell on Shelton Thursday morning as the Pirates announced he was fired as the manager. Bench coach Don Kelly was named as Shelton's replacement.

In a vacuum, firing Shelton makes sense. The Pirates steadily improved during his first four years as manager but plateaued at a 76-86 record in 2023 and 2024. A disappointing season start could mean a different voice is needed.

However, it is fair to wonder how much of the Pirates' disappointing performance is Shelton's fault. Although outfielder Oneil Cruz has taken the next step to stardom and catcher Joey Bart has resurrected his career, the rest of the lineup has been mediocre at best. The Pirates have a .219/.300/.325 batting line heading into Thursday, ranking 29th in the majors with a .626 OPS.

The blame should fall on ownership. Team owner Bob Nutting referred to a "sense of urgency" in the statement regarding Shelton's dismissal, although his refusal to spend belies that statement. 

Instead of fortifying the roster, the Pirates signed rental players to one-year contracts. Fan-favorite outfielder Andrew McCutchen and pitcher Andrew Heaney were the most notable free-agent signings for a team that has not given a free agent a multiyear contract since Ivan Nova signed a three-year, $26 million contract during the 2016-17 offseason.

Shelton has been removed as Pirates manager. Unless ownership opens up the checkbook, nothing is going to change.