Pirates Manager Derek Shelton Backed to Return for 2025 MLB Season by GM Cherington | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats & Rumors

Despite being on the verge of losing for a fifth consecutive season, Derek Shelton’s job as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates appears to be secure.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington told reporters Wednesday that he believes Shelton is “the right person to manage the team in 2025” and expects him to return next season.

Shelton’s contract was extended by the Pirates in April 2023, but the length of the deal was not specified in the announcement.

The Pirates briefly flirted with playoff contention earlier this season. They had a 29-22 record over two months between June and July, which helped them climb three games above .500 on July 30 (55-52).

Pittsburgh was at that point just two games behind the San Diego Padres for the final postseason spot in the NL. A brutal August that included a 10-game losing streak nearly ended any hopes of the club being a playoff bungler.

Things have improved so far in September, with a 6-4 record entering Wednesday’s game. The Pirates’ .476 winning percentage is on pace to be their highest in a season since 2018 when they finished 82-79.

Shelton was hired by the Pirates in November 2019 after Clint Hurdle was fired two months earlier, taking over a franchise in the midst of a lengthy rebuild.

The Pirates have not finished higher than fourth in the NL Central since Shelton became manager. They are on the verge of finishing in last place for the third time in the past five seasons. His .415 winning percentage ranks 336th among the 366 managers of all time with at least 315 games managed.

While the results haven’t yet shown up in the Pirates’ stats, there are clear signs of improvement for the franchise in 2024. Paul Skenes is a favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year despite his historic debut season.

Oneil Cruz, Mitch Keller and Jared Jones have all had successful seasons and could form the next strong core group in Pittsburgh along with Skenes.

Shelton has weathered a rough patch for a team that was just beginning to rebuild when he was hired, and the Pirates seem inclined to give him at least another year to stick around now that they’re making positive strides.