1-31-2025 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X
‘Helter skelter,’ a phrase meaning “in undue haste, confusion, or disorder,” feels a fairly appropriate way to describe how this rebuild has unfolded. Messy trades, confusing signings and inability to properly develop impact bats within the system are just a few issues plaguing this squad.
And now, heading into Spring Training in just a few short weeks with a lot more questions than answers, the biggest one we ask this week: Is Derek Shelton the right man to lead the Pirates in 2025?
That’s the $100 Million dollar question as the organization heads into year 6 of the current rebuild, with multiple top names feeling the heat in their seat.
And no one’s seat should feel hotter than Shelton, especially following the long overdue firing of his hitting coach, Andy Haines, among others on his staff after the 2024 season concluded.
Is too much weight placed on the team’s manager – their success or failures – unduly dropped at the feet of one man who neither holds a bat nor glove in the games?
The role of a manager in equates to slightly above a team cheerleader in today’s day and age. Sure, they write out lineups and make substitutions but with the universal Designated Hitter, the role of manager has significantly diminished. Is that how we feel, or should feel, about Shelton?
Shelton enters 2025, his 6th season as skipper of the Bucs, tied for 13th in franchise history for most victories with 294 but he also ranks 9th in most losses (414).
With a winning percentage of .415 over his first five years here in Pittsburgh, no one in the franchise history has come close to that level of ineffectiveness and was granted a 6th year on his contract.
So why Shelton?
Prior to joining the Bucs, Derek Shelton succeeded Hall of Famer Eddie Murray as hitting coach for Cleveland from 2005 until 2010 before following a long line of coaches in the Tampa Bay Rays pipeline, serving as their hitting coach from 2010 to 2016.
He then worked in the Toronto Blue Jays organization for a year before landing a Bench Coach role with the Minnesota Twins, the success of which he parlayed into his current gig sporting black and gold 162 games a year.
We knew the first couple years of this rebuild were going to be rough. The growing pains of figuring out what talent is in the system and who can be either traded or integrated into this potential future success are filled with potholes and landmines.
And much of it falls on ownership or management but a fair bit of the brunt is bore by the coaching staff.
Rodolfo Castro’s cell phone incident?
Ke’Bryan Hayes missing first base on a home run? Or nonchalantly eating sunflower seeds mid-play?
These mental mistakes reflect directly back on the top guy in the dugout.
Fans also have gotten on Shelton for his apparent unwillingness to stand up for his players over the course of his Pirates tenure. Seeing Bryan Reynolds getting unusually animated after an outside called strike-3 while Shelton sits on the bench does not imbue much confidence in his leadership abilities – though, admittedly, this is not always the case.
A big takeaway is that the players seem to love him. He’ll get the occasional glove-covered expletive now and then when he takes out a pitcher earlier than both would prefer but his stewardship is on display for all to see.
And it will, deservedly so, be under the microscope heading into this season.
Sure, we can blame Ben Cherington or Bob Nutting – heck, if the offense improved even a little bit, it will be validation that Haines was never the right answer for this clubhouse – but wins and losses, for better or worse, fall squarely on the shoulders of one Derek Lee Shelton.
Steel City Pirates 
Just a thought always wondered how much other influences are on a player deciding it’s not right for him…I only ask b/c of a resent head coaching move by the NFLs Jaguars ,the desired HC said no only to agree to job after the GM Baalke was fired…wonders what other players think or Marin(im a fan of) or Shelton or Haines ( now Haugue), COULD the staff be reason can get FAs.????
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