Twins choose Derek Shelton as their next manager

Derek Shelton, who coached for the Twins under both Paul Molitor and Rocco Baldelli, will succeed Baldelli and become the 15th manager in team history.

A formal announcement is expected Thursday, which is a day off during the World Series.

Shelton was manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates for six seasons, starting in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, before he was dismissed this year when Pittsburgh started 12-26.

The hiring was confirmed by sources with knowledge of the move. An introductory news conference is likely early next week.

“Shelty is a leader,” Baldelli wrote in a text message. “He’s one of the best baseball people I’ve ever been around. ... Great presence, charisma and sense of humor.

“And he’s a natural when voicing his opinions to the umpires, which I’m sure his players and the fans will appreciate!

“I believe he’ll bring the best out of a lot of guys in that clubhouse and I’ll be pulling for him.”

“Derek worked incredibly hard and sacrificed a lot over five-plus years. His family became a big part of the Pirates family, and we will miss that,” Cherington said when Shelton was fired.

“He’s an incredibly smart, curious, and driven baseball leader. I believe he was the right person for the job when he was hired. I also believe that a change is now necessary.”

Bench coach Don Kelly replaced Shelton, went 59-65 and was signed to an extension on the final day of the season.

Shelton, 55, was the Twins bench coach from 2018 to 2019 — the last year of Molitor’s tenure and the first under Baldelli. He is familiar with many of the folks behind the scenes and was praised for his organization and communication skills during his previous stint here.

It will be interesting to see how Shelton has evolved. He never reached the postseason with Pittsburgh. But the Pirates have been more stingy with the pocketbook than the Twins, which Twins fans will find hard to believe.

Rowson and Shelton were the finalists, with Shelton landing the job.

And now he faces a nearly impossible task, turning a team that scorched its roster at the trade deadline into a winner.

The Twins unloaded 10 major leaguers at the trade deadline and finished with the second-worst record (70-92) in the American League.

The trades netted the Twins several pitching prospects and a few position players. Some will be rotation candidates. Others could be moved to a bullpen that was a playpen after the trade deadline.

There will be heavy lifting required. Players need improved technique and their minds cleared. Hopefully, one of the Twins’ questions to Shelton was about getting Royce Lewis to tap into his massive potential. Of all the Twins on the current roster, he’s the one who needs the right touch to thrive. He’s best equipped to bat in the middle of the order while being the spiritual leader in the clubhouse.

Hovering like a specter over the team is the possibility that the Pohlad family will further slash payroll. The Twins could trade more players — All-Star pitcher Joe Ryan, for instance — and prepare for the arrival of some of their top prospects over the next couple of seasons.

That certainly will be sidebar at Shelton’s introductory press conference — how ownership plans to fund the team and the status of the limited partners buying into the team. Employees continue to be laid off in different departments and some are leaving for other opportunities, a source confirmed.

There are many unanswered questions with this organization. Only one — who will manage? — has been answered.

Shelton interviewed for the job when Baldelli got it, and the new manager asked him to stay on the staff.

Originally Shelton, who spent 2017 as a quality control coach for the Blue Jays, came to the Twins in 2018 to work under Molitor.

Current Twins President Derek Falvey, who arrived for the 2017 season from Cleveland, was familiar with Shelton.

“I remember the interactions right away, very fondly. [Then-Cleveland manager] Eric Wedge and that staff felt that Derek was someone who was highly impactful there,” Falvey said in 2018. “We will use Derek in ways that will transcend more than just in-game and in the dugout [roles]. We want his advice and counsel in a lot of things we’re doing organizationally.”

Shelton was on the staff, with fellow finalist Rowson, during the 2019 Twins Bomba Squad season, when they set a major league home run record and won 101 games. That led to him getting the Pirates post.

Even after Shelton left for Pittsburgh, he and Baldelli kept their close friendship and made a big deal over both finishing in the top ten of the “most handsome manager” rankings one year.

“Rocco and I view the game very similar, and we view how people look at the game similar,” Shelton said after being hired by Pittsburgh.

2020-25: Pirates manager

2018-19: Twins bench coach

2017: Blue Jays quality control coach

2010-16: Rays hitting coach

2005-09: Cleveland hitting coach

2002: Staten Island (Class A) manager

2000-01: Yankees Gulf Coast League manager