“I wasn’t shocked”- Paul Skenes’ reaction on Derek Shelton’s exit points towards loopholes in Pirates’ front office

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / May 10, 2025, 17:40 IST

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The Pittsburgh Pirates dismissed manager Derek Shelton amidst a disappointing 12-26 record, replacing him with bench coach Don Kelly. Pitching star Paul Skenes acknowledged the move, stating someone had to be held accountable for the team's poor performance. Skenes emphasized the need for growth to avoid a completely lost season, reflecting the pressure within the organization.

“I wasn’t shocked”- Paul Skenes’ reaction on Derek Shelton’s exit points towards loopholes in Pirates’ front office (Image Source: Getty)

The Pittsburgh Pirates made headlines after they went on to show the exit door to their manager, Derek Shelton. Reportedly, he has been replaced by the Pirates' bench coach, Don Kelly, for the ongoing MLB season. The decision came after a strict scrutiny of Shelton’s 6-year stint with the Pirates, which speaks volumes about the inconsistent performance of the team for a long time.

Operation Sindoor

Recently, Pirates pitching star Paul Skenes reacted to the exit of Derek Shelton from the team. His reaction clearly hints towards the turmoil in the Pirates' front office.

Paul Skenes’ reactions on Derek Shelton’s exit indicates turmoil in the Pirates’ front office

The recent move of the Pittsburgh Pirates with respect to the exit of their longtime manager, Derek Shelton, in the middle of the 2025 MLB season made headlines across the globe. Reportedly, Don Kelly, the bench coach of the Pirates, would be taking over as the new managerial head of the team.

Despite the inconsistent performance of the Pirates, pitching star Paul Skenes believes that someone has to be held accountable for that, whether it's the managerial head or team coach. During a recent after-game interview, Skenes spoke about the sudden exit of the Pirates manager Derek Shelton and even admitted that he wasn’t shocked by the move of the Pirates. He said, “I wasn’t shocked; we’re 12-26. Someone’s gotta be held accountable. Unfortunately, right now it’s him.”He further said,“We’re going to grow. We better grow. If we don’t grow, it’s a completely lost season.”

Derek Shelton dismissed as Pirates manager | MLB Now

With inconsistent efforts and losing streaks over a period of time, the Pirates ranked at the bottom in the league. The exit of Derek Shelton sent waves across the MLB fraternity as netizens believe that it was totally unfair to hold him as the sole reason for the poor performance of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Even Shelton revealed that over the years managing the MLB season with the Pirates had become frustrating for him. Also Read: “Pirates come to mind as a good trade partner”- MLB insider drops a major update on Yankees reunion with their former star

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TOI Sports Desk

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