Derek Shelton: Manager of the Future or First Year Expirement

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Monday that they will be returning their entire coaching staff for the 2021 season. As Manager Derek Shelton heads to his second season, we look to see if he fits in the Pirate's long-term plans.

Stepping into a brand-new job can be stressful for anyone in any profession. However, that pressure is magnified when you are challenged with leading a team with a losing record in a city that yearns for the winning years of the early 2010s. That pressure is what first-year manager Derek Shelton had to step into when he took the job as the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Shelton was no stranger to the Major Leagues, having spent 15 years as a Major League coach for the Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Minnesota Twins. As a hitting coach, Shelton's best characteristic was his ability to connect with players and that is exactly what he has done with the Pirates.

However, while those connections are being made behind the scenes, the results that the fans wanted are not translating on the field. Shelton went 19-41 in his first season as manager, but with a team that struggled mightily last season, not much was expected in the way of improvement. With injuries running rampant on the team even before the season began, Shelton was put behind the eight ball and had to use the players he was given. With money being tight, and talent being a little scarce, Shelton did his best to evaluate all his talent and get what he could out of them. As he gets ready for his first full off-season as a Big League manager we look back at Shelton's 2020 season to determine his future in Pittsburgh.

A Year of Evaluation

With a brand new regime in charge of baseball operations, 2020 was looked at as an evaluation year for Ben Cherrington and his staff, and you saw some of that evaluation in Shelton's managing style. From piggy-backing starters to a constantly changing lineup, Shelton was trying to get as many guys playing time as possible. While winning games is what the team wanted to do, the more important thing was that they got a good look at the young talent in the Minor Leagues and on the Major League club. Because of this, Shelton had to do a lot of shuffling of the lineup and pitching staff that he probably wouldn't have done had it been a regular year.

The first big indicator of this was how Shelton decided to use the pitching staff for most of 2020. In the shortened 60-game season, Pirate starting pitchers went seven innings or more only four times all season, with two of those being by Steven Brault at the end of the year. As a result, the bullpen was tasked way more than it should have been and injuries forced guys into roles they weren't used to. Richard Rodriguez alone went through three different roles in the Pirates bullpen going from middle reliever to closed by the end of the season. Shelton was quick on the trigger and averaged the use of four pitchers per game. As he heads into 2021 with a full off-season and Spring Training, look for Shelton to allow his starters to stay in longer next season and give his bullpen a rest.

Looking at the offensive side of the game, this is Shelton's bread and butter. He spent all of his time prior to being the Pirates manager as a hitting coach, with his longest tenure coming with Tampa Bay where he was the hitting coach from 2011 to 2016 under Joe Madden and his team. With the Pirates roster featuring so many utility guys both on the bench and in the starting lineup, there was bound to be shuffling. Overall, Shelton ended up using several different combinations throughout the season with some working and some not. One of his best lineup changes of the year is when he moved Colin Moran from third base to first base. Moran's skill set flourished across the diamond and it allowed for the promotion of #3 overall prospect Ke'Bryan Hayes. However, even with all the shuffling, the lineup failed to produce ranking 28th in the league with a .220 batting average. It is hard to say if a more consistent lineup would raise those numbers or not, but Shelton will be looking for more consistency in his first full off-season as a Big League manager.

Shelton: The Future or Just The Present

When Clint Hurdle was fired following the 2019 season, the front office was looking for a manager who could lead a young group of players through the season. When Shelton first came to Pittsburgh, he didn't have experience managing at the Big League level, but what he did have experience with was connecting his players. That is exactly what he did with the Pirates, forming relationships with almost everyone on the team. He has been described by many as a "great evaluator of talent" and that is exactly what his objective was in 2020. He comes from a baseball family, with his dad being a former college coach, and he is passionate about leading this team and building a winner.

As for Shelton's future as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 2021 season will go a long way in determining whether Shelton stays or the Pirates look elsewhere. With 2020 being an evaluation year, not much was expected in the way of on-field results. However, 2021 is a different story as the Pirates look to climb back into connection. There is nowhere to go but up after posting a .316 win percentage and Shelton and his team know they have to be better than they were in 2020. If Shelton can get the team headed in the right direction, I see him as part of the Pirate's future plans at the helm. However, a lateral step or any slip up in 2021 could see the Pirates looking for a new skipper.