Pirates Hire Derek Shelton As New Manager

PITTSBURGH, PA - The Pirates announced Wedenday that Derek Shelton has been named the 41st manager in the team's history. He succeeds Clint Hurdle, who was fired in September.

Shelton, 49, Shelton has 15 years of coaching experience at the Major League level. He spent the last two seasons as the Minnesota Twins bench coach after having served as quality control coach for the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2017 season.

Prior to his time in Toronto, Shelton spent seven seasons as the hitting coach for the Tampa Bay Rays and remains the longest tenured hitting coach in Tampa Bay’s history. Shelton began his big league coaching career with the Cleveland Indians, serving as hitting coach from 2005-09.

“I have known Derek for more than 15 years and have great admiration for his passion for the game and players, work ethic, curiosity, and desire to learn,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said in a statement. “He has worked and learned from some of the best in the game, and in turn has helped players and colleagues learn and improve during his 20 years of coaching and managing. We are confident Derek will help lead an elite playing and coaching environment at the Major League level and be a true partner to all of baseball operations as we challenge each other to get better every day. "

“My family and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to join the Pittsburgh community and are humbled to be a part of this storied franchise,” Shelton said. “One of the most exciting things for me during the interview process was just how evident the passion for Pittsburgh and the desire to succeed was with everyone I interacted with."

Shelton’s only previous managerial experience were stints in the Yankees’ organization in the early 2000s.

Shelton's hiring completes the Pirates' management overhaul that began with Hurdle's firing and also saw the departure of Frank Coonelly and general manager Neal Huntington. Travis Williams was hired as president in October and Cherington was brought on as general manager earlier this month.