If there's one thing Derek Shelton learned during his tenure in Pittsburgh, it's how to lose in a small-market city. Sure, the Pirates had enviable young stars like Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Mitch Keller, Jared Jones and Paul Freaking Skenes. Pittsburgh was always on the cusp of something great. All they needed was the investment that never came from owner Bob Nutting. Shelton has his faults. His bullpen management was tragic, and his loyalty to hitting coach Andy Haines was misguided. It's much of the reason he finished his first stint as manager with a 306-440 record, and aged like a second-term president. That didn't stop Shelton from showing interest in several managerial gigs early this offseason. The Minnesota Twins liked what they saw.
Per Jon Heyman, the Twins hired their longtime bench coach, Shelton, to be their next manager. Minnesota parted ways with Rocco Baldelli, who is also in the market for a new job as head skipper elsewhere, in late September.
The Twins last made the playoffs in 2023, when they lost to the Houston Astros in the ALDS. This team, despite parting ways with key assets like Jhoan Duran, has plenty of talent on it. They opted to keep oft-injured outfielder Byron Buxton around along with starting pitcher Joe Ryan. Both could be trade assets this winter if the Twins are indeed open for business, but if Minnesota holds off after failing to sell the team, this organization isn't too far off from contending in the AL Central once again. Unfortunately for Shelton, many of the same issues that plagued his time in Pittsburgh could follow him to Minneapolis.
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The Twins couldn't sell the team, and now the roster could suffer
When the Pohlad family put the Twins up for sale, they had unrealistic expectations. Per various reports, the Twins wanted $1.7 billion for the franchise. When they didn't get what they wanted, the family backtracked, claiming full commitment to the current product.
"For more than four decades, our family has had the privilege of owning the Minnesota Twins. This franchise has become part of our family story, as it has for our employees, our players, this community, and Twins fans everywhere," Joe Pohlad said last August. "Over the past several months, we explored a wide range of potential investment and ownership opportunities. Our focus throughout has been on what's best for the long-term future of the Twins. We have been fully open to all possibilities."
That announcement was made after a trade deadline fire sale when payroll was slashed. It'd be misguided to expect the Pohlads to spend, rather than acquiring cheaper, promising prospects for proven talent moving forward. Minnesota still has plenty of star power ripe for the picking on their roster, which brings us to why Shelton was hired on Wednesday.
Derek Shelton was hired to manage expectations, not just the Twins roster
Shelton is familiar with the Twins dilemma, to say the least. During his time with the Pirates, Shelton never had a payroll to match the moment. Pittsburgh was committed to a draft-and-develop approach. While that sounds good on paper – especially for ownership – it also leaves less margin for error. When a few of the Pirates key draft picks missed, including former No. 1 overall selection Henry Davis, the front office's image collapsed with it. Sure, Pittsburgh still has a strong farm and some young talent to build around, but Shelton became the fall guy for Ben Cherington's mistakes. Who's to say the same won't occur in Minnesota?
What Shelton really needed – if he were going to manage again this quickly – is an organization he can believe in. The Twins are not that. Sure, there's familiarity at play here, but Minnesota is not going to increase payroll or expectations anytime soon. All Shelton has is what he received when initially hired in Pittsburgh – a long leash, as this team likely isn't going anywhere fast. The Pohlads know that, as does president of baseball operations Derek Falvey.
This is all to say we don't blame Shelton for taking just about the only managerial job he would've been offered. However, he ought to know what he's getting into. This organizational malpractice starts at the top, much like it did with the Pirates.