Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said he was not worried about his job status for 2023. It turns out he had every reason to feel secure in his role.
According to Rob Biertempfel from The Athletic, the Pirates are not making any changes at manager. Shelton will be back in 2023 as they look to get closer to emerging from their ongoing rebuilding process.
Derek Shelton could be long term answer for Pittsburgh Pirates
It is easy to wonder why the Pirates would want to bring Shelton back for 2023 or beyond. He has a 127-215 record as a manager over his three seasons at the helm, hardly the type of performance that would lead one to think he can be the answer.
However, the Pirates are not looking at wins and losses just yet. While their winning percentage has increased in each of Shelton’s seasons, there are other factors that matter. In particular, the Pirates have wanted to see progress from the young players that they are eyeing as their future core.
And that is the key. Those younger players are going to determine whether or not the Pirates will compete again in the near future. The Pirates need them to not only rise through the minors, but to show that they can perform at a major league caliber and continue to develop.
That is Shelton’s task at this point. While general manager Ben Cherington may regard him as an assistant GM on the diamond, that will not matter if those players do not show improvement. After all, as they improve, the Pirates’ record should reflect that as well.
Derek Shelton is going to be back with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023. As long as the young players develop and improve, he is not going anywhere.