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Pirates: Derek Shelton Makes Most Sense As Next Manager

By Chris Ross

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 27: Bench coach Derek Shelton #9 of the Minnesota Twins hugs Victor Martinez #41 of the Detroit Tigers as the Twins honor Martinez before the game for his retirement on September 27, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 27: Bench coach Derek Shelton #9 of the Minnesota Twins hugs Victor Martinez #41 of the Detroit Tigers as the Twins honor Martinez before the game for his retirement on September 27, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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The Pittsburgh Pirates’ search for their next manager seems to be coming to an end and finalist Derek Shelton is a perfect fit.

It’s been an offseason full of change for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After firing manager Clint Hurdle, the team also decided it was time to clean house on the front office side of things, relieving General Manager Neal Huntington and Team President Frank Coonelly of their duties. While the latter two roles have been filled by Ben Cherington and Travis Williams respectively, the new leaders still need to hire a new skipper in the dugout.

Luckily, after weeks of debate and plenty of candidates, it appears the Pirates have finally narrowed down their choices to two candidates, Derek Shelton and Matt Quatraro. Both are experienced baseball guys, having spent time in the minor leagues as players and working their way through the ranks as coaches. As impressive as they both are, however, there is an obvious choice between the two.

Shelton, fresh off coaching the Minnesota Twins to an outstanding hitting season, is the obvious pick here. With all due respect to Quatraro, who is a good candidate in his own right, Shelton is just more prepared for the job. Having interviewed for a number of manager jobs around the MLB, Shelton is highly-regarded. The only reason he hasn’t been hired already is that he’s not a big-name guy.

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With that said, he would be a perfect fit for a Pirates lineup in the midst of rebuilding. After his work with the young Twins’ lineup, it would be exciting to see what kind of offense he could coax out of Pittsburgh’s young talent. Not to mention, the job is an excellent fit for Shelton as he looks to begin a career as “the guy”. The Pirates know they won’t be contending anytime soon, taking the pressure to win off whoever the Manager is. Shelton would have an opportunity to grow alongside this young Pirates group and that could mean big things down the line.

It’s obvious that the Pittsburgh Pirates are trying to return to respectability, and hiring Shelton would be yet another move in the right direction. It’s an easy choice and one that could yield big results down the line.

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