Shelton previously served as the bench coach for the Twins in 2018 and 2019


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The Minnesota Twins have hired former Pittsburgh Pirates manager -- and old friend -- Derek Shelton to fill that same role, the team announced on Thursday.

Shelton, 55, managed the Pirates for parts of six seasons before being let go in early May of this year after a 12-26 start to the 2025 season. With the Pirates, Shelton went 306-440 (.410) with two last-place finishes and two fourth-place finishes in his four full seasons on the job. He previously served as the bench coach for the Twins under Paul Molitor in 2018 and Rocco Baldelli in 2019.

Shelton took over a team deep in a rebuilding phase -- a phase that still hasn't yielded much in the way of wins at the big-league level -- and the team showed incremental improvement on his watch until they stalled out in 2024 and for the early weeks of this season. As a player, Shelton spent two minor league seasons as a catcher and first baseman in the New York Yankees system but never rose above Single-A.

As for the Twins, they're coming off a 2025 season in which they went 70-92 and placed fourth in the American League Central. That plus an 82-80 record and another fourth-place finish in 2024 cost Badelli his job in late September of this year. In all, Baldelli guided the Twins to three playoff berths in his seven seasons on the job.

While there is some talent in place in Minnesota, Shelton walks into an uncertain ownership situation, especially when it comes to a top-down willingness to invest in payroll.

With Shelton's hiring in Minnesota, three MLB teams remain in need of a manager for the 2026 season: the San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, and Atlanta Braves.

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