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Derek Shelton (left) has been replaced as Pirates manager by bench coach Don Kelly, a Pittsburgh … More native. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved The slumping Pittsburgh Pirates became the first team to change managers on Thursday. They replaced Derek Shelton, who had been hired during the winter of 2019-20, with Pittsburgh native Don Kelly, who had been the team’s bench coach. Salary figures were not announced. Another Rookie Pilot Kelly has no managerial experience in the major leagues – but that may not matter to the last-place Pirates, who had lost nine of their last ten games entering play Thursday. Pittsburgh not only sits at the bottom of the standings but also near the bottom in payroll, according to Roster Resource. The Miami Marlins are the only National League team that pays its players less. Although Pittsburgh promoted a promising pitcher last season in Paul Skenes, who started the All-Star Game for the NL, the Bucs were silent on the free-agent market. As a result, the clubs 12-26 start this season – 10 games off the pace of the front-running Chicago Cubs in the National League Central – aggravated the fan base. Pittsburgh has not been a competitive club since losing Barry Bonds, Sid Bream, and other stars to free agency in the ‘90s. In fact, it hasn’t given any free agent more than the three-year, $39 million deal inked by Francisco Liriano 10 years ago. Never .500 Team Pittsburgh posted a 306-440 record under Shelton but never had a .500 season during his tenure despite promoting such talented young players as Skenes, the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, and center-fielder Oneil Cruz. En route to Rookie of the Year honors, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes started the 2024 All-Star Game for…

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Filed under: News - @ May 8, 2025 10:23 pm