Pirates Turn To Pittsburgh Native Don Kelly To Manage Their Team

The slumping Pittsburgh Pirates became the first team to change managers on Thursday.

They replaced Derek Shelton, who had been hired during the winter of 2019-20, with Pittsburgh native Don Kelly, who had been the team’s bench coach. Salary figures were not announced.

Another Rookie Pilot

Kelly has no managerial experience in the major leagues – but that may not matter to the last-place Pirates, who had lost nine of their last ten games entering play Thursday.

Pittsburgh not only sits at the bottom of the standings but also near the bottom in payroll, according to Roster Resource. The Miami Marlins are the only National League team that pays its players less.

Although Pittsburgh promoted a promising pitcher last season in Paul Skenes, who started the All-Star Game for the NL, the Bucs were silent on the free-agent market.

As a result, the clubs 12-26 start this season – 10 games off the pace of the front-running Chicago Cubs in the National League Central – aggravated the fan base.

Pittsburgh has not been a competitive club since losing Barry Bonds, Sid Bream, and other stars to free agency in the ‘90s.

In fact, it hasn’t given any free agent more than the three-year, $39 million deal inked by Francisco Liriano 10 years ago.

Never .500 Team

Pittsburgh posted a 306-440 record under Shelton but never had a .500 season during his tenure despite promoting such talented young players as Skenes, the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, and center-fielder Oneil Cruz.

Shelton, 54, was hired and fired by general manager Ben Cherington. “He worked incredibly hard and sacrificed a lot over five-plus years,” the GM said. “He’s an incredibly smart, curious, and driven baseball leader. I wish Derek and his family all the best in their next chapter.”

A previous bench coach in Minnesota, Shelton had also served as hitting coach with Cleveland and Tampa Bay. He also served the Jays as quality control coach.

Kelly, a former utility player who retired after the 2016 season, worked for the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros before Shelton brought him to Pittsburgh as bench coach.

Club owner Bob Nutting was lavish in his praise of the new appointee.

“Donnie is as respected as any person in our clubhouse and throughout our organization,” Nutting said in a press release. “He is a Pirate who bleeds black and gold. No one is more committed and no one loves this team or city more than Donnie.”

New Blue-Chip Prospect

One immediate hope for Kelly is minor-league pitching sensation Bubba Chandler, who posted a 2.25 earned run average in his first seven Triple-A starts this season.

After Skenes, the Pittsburgh rotation is reeling because of an injury to No. 2 starter Jared Jones and poor performances by Bailey Falter and Carmen Mlodzinski.

Injuries have also idled position players Ke’Bryan Hayes and Endy Rodriguez, while rookie catcher Henry Davis has yet to produce, and Jack Suwinski has struggled in the wake of initial success. As a result, veteran outfielder Bryan Reynolds has been charged with carrying much of the load.

Pittsburgh will be hard-pressed to duplicate last year’s 55-52 mark at the All-Star break, though two months remain on the schedule before the July 15 game at Atlanta’s Truist Park.

The 2025 trade deadline, which falls two weeks later, could bring some new faces into the picture.

The Pirates play in one of the most photogenic ballparks in the majors but fans prefer to root for its players. In a division devoid of the powerhouses that rule the East and West, that might still be possible under the new pilot.