Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington expressed his strong support for manager Derek Shelton, affirming that he expects Shelton to return for the 2025 season despite the team’s struggles and likely playoff absence for the fifth straight year.
“I fully expect Shelty to be the manager in 2025,” Cherington said on Wednesday ahead of the Pirates’ game against the Miami Marlins at PNC Park. “There are many aspects of the job he does really well, and he’s constantly working hard to improve. Based on what I’ve seen, I believe he’s the right person to lead this team moving forward.”
The Pirates (70-76) endured a rough August, posting an 8-19 record and suffering a 10-game losing streak, dropping them from 2½ games out of wild-card contention to last place in the NL Central.
Shelton, 54, took over as manager in November 2019, replacing Clint Hurdle. Over his five seasons, he has compiled a 287-404 record (.415 winning percentage). His first year at the helm was disrupted by the pandemic-shortened season, where the Pirates finished with an MLB-worst 19-41 record. This was followed by back-to-back 100-loss seasons—the first for the franchise since the 1950s. However, the Pirates improved by 14 wins last season, finishing 76-86, and entered 2024 with playoff aspirations.
After the Pirates’ 3-1 victory over the Marlins, completing a series sweep, Shelton expressed gratitude for Cherington’s confidence.
“It means a lot to me,” Shelton said. “I’ll be the first to admit there are areas where I need to improve, and we as a team need to get better. But hearing Ben’s support is important. Our focus has to remain on winning games and continuing to improve so we can reach where we want to be. We’re not there yet, but we’re playing better baseball lately. I know I have work to do, and so does the team.
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