The Pittsburgh Pirates fired Derek Shelton after the team's abysmal start and replaced him with Don Kelly, the team's bench coach. Kelly was a deserving choice and is someone who could realistically hang around for a while, but his status beyond this season is not guaranteed. If Bryan Reynolds doesn't pick it up, Kelly's stint as the Pirates' manager might be short.
Fair or not, managers are an easy scapegoat for struggling teams. It isn't Kelly's fault that Reynolds and virtually every single one of his teammates haven't hit, but if the Pirates don't win games, will they really hand him the keys long-term? That'd be a hard sell.
Whether Reynolds can turn his season around or not could end up dictating whether Kelly can remain in his role past this season.
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Don Kelly's Pirates future could depend on Bryan Reynolds
It's no secret that this Pirates team is starved for offense. They rank dead last in the majors in runs scored, 29th in home runs, and 29th in OPS. It's really hard to win games that way, so it comes as no surprise that the team is currently 14-28.
Reynolds' struggles have played a massive role in their struggles. The 30-year-old entered Tuesday's action slashing .204/.266/.323 with five home runs and 20 RBI in 41 games. His 62 WRC+ ranks 148th out of 160 qualified position players. To make matters worse, he's in the midst of a 0-for-13 slump and has two hits in his last 37 at-bats. It's not as if there are signs that he's going to break out anytime soon.
If Reynolds isn't going to hit, who is? Oneil Cruz has had a strong start to the year, but who else is there? 38-year-old Andrew McCutchen? Joey Bart? The Pirates are a subpar offensive team, even with Reynolds, the highest-paid player in franchise history, playing to his All-Star capabilities. With him performing like one of the worst regulars in the game, this offense is borderline unwatchable. For them to have any shot, he's going to have to get going.
Again, it isn't Kelly's fault that he's in this position. This is entirely on Bob Nutting for not providing the resources for the Pirates to make any meaningful additions and on Ben Cherington for not using the few resources Nutting does provide wisely. Still, if the team doesn't win games, Kelly's tenure will be short, fair or not.