Last-place Pittsburgh Pirates fire manager Derek Shelton, promote bench coach Don Kelly
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'Derek worked incredibly hard and sacrificed a lot over five-plus years,' Cherington said in a statement. 'His family became a big part of the Pirates family, and we will miss that. He's an incredibly smart, curious, and driven baseball leader. I believe he was the right person for the job when he was hired. I also believe that a change is now necessary. I wish Derek and his family all the best in their next chapter.'
The Pirates, ranked 26th out of 30 MLB teams in opening day payroll, began the season hoping to contend behind reigning National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes. While the 22-year-old Skenes has been solid and the starting rotation in general has been steady, Pittsburgh's offense has languished near the bottom of the NL all season.
The Pirates are in the middle of a difficult stretch that began by getting swept by both San Diego and St. Louis. Pittsburgh's next nine games are against NL powers Atlanta, the New York Mets and Philadelphia.
Nutting called the first quarter of the season 'frustrating and painful for all of us.'
Kelly, a Pittsburgh native, spent nine years in the major leagues as a utility player. Kelly has been the Pirates bench coach since 2020.
'Donnie is as respected as any person in our clubhouse and throughout our organization,' said Nutting. 'He is a Pirate. He bleeds black and gold. No one is more committed, and no one loves this team or city more than Donnie. He is the right person to manage our team and help get us back on track.'
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