Pirates: Hiring Don Kelly Yet Another Smart Offseason Move

The Pittsburgh Pirates continued their outstanding offseason with another hire that signifies a new era of Pittsburgh baseball is here.

The Pittsburgh Pirates entered this offseason looking to make some changes to an organization that seems to have stagnated over the past few years, and oh boy have they done that. From new leaders in the front office in Travis Williams and Ben Cherington to a new manager in the clubhouse in Derek Shelton, the Pirates have put together an outstanding offseason filled with smart hires. After announcing another strong hire in Don Kelly as the team’s new bench coach, it’s become obvious that the Pirates deserve credit for the moves they’ve made so far.

Kelly is a brilliant hire as the team’s bench coach. As a former player, including some time with the Pirates, he knows what it takes to perform in the big leagues, and he should be well-respected in the clubhouse. He’s also had success outside of his playing career, both as a scout for the Detroit Tigers, then as the Houston Astros first base coach last season. As somebody who has a key coaching role for the Astros in last season’s World Series appearance, Kelly comes from a winning culture – something that will help immediately in the Pirates locker-room.

As a Pennsylvania native and somebody that has had success in a variety of roles, Don Kelly is another phenomenal hire for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Some will say that as long as Bob Nutting owns the team nothing will matter, but if this offseason is any indication, perhaps we should start getting excited for the new era of Pittsburgh baseball.