When the Pittsburgh Pirates named Derek Shelton their manager in 2019, he was one of nine candidates they interviewed. “Shelty,” as he was known to Pirates personnel and broadcasters, was fired last Thursday after his Pirates got off to a disappointing 12-26 start. That left him with a career record of 306-440. Here’s a look at the other candidates, what they went on to, and in some cases, what might have been.
Pirates Interviewed Nine Candidates for Manager in 2019
The Organization Man, Part 1
Jeff Banister was a long-time member of the Pirates family. In his only major league plate appearance, he got a pinch-hit infield single for the Pirates in 1991. After retiring as a player in 1994, he served the organization in various capacities. “Banny,” as he was known (more colorful Pirates nicknames like “the Cobra” and “the Roadrunner” died when legendary Pirates broadcaster Bob Prince was unceremoniously fired in 1975), was a finalist for the Pirates manager position that went to Clint Hurdle in 2010. Hurdle wisely kept the highly respected Banister on as his bench coach.
Banister was named the Texas Rangers manager for the 2015 season. He led them to two consecutive first-place finishes in the American League West Division in 2015 and 2016, only to have his Rangers lose to the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL Division Series both times. The Rangers fired him with 10 games left in the 2018 season and the team in last place. He was a proponent of the sacrifice bunt (see table below) that Pirates fans seem to think is the cure-all to all the team’s problems. He rejoined the Pirates in 2019 but was let go in 2020. Banister became the Arizona Diamondbacks bench coach and got to experience the World Series in 2023. It was an experience he likely wouldn’t have had as Pirates manager.
It’s Not Easy Replacing a Legend
There’s an old saying that it’s hard to replace a legend. Better to be the guy who replaces the guy who replaces a legend. If he was never familiar with that expression before, Houston Astros manager Joe Espada is certainly familiar with it now. He was the Astros bench coach when the Pirates interviewed him in 2019. When Dusty Baker retired after the 2023 season, Espada was the natural choice to replace him, taking over as manager in 2024.
It hasn’t gone well for Espada. In May 2024, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that “two prominent players have privately expressed complaints about Espada’s communication skills in recent weeks.” Fans began to pile on as the Astros underachieved.
Time for Espada to go asap
— Krutik (@Krutik1266470) May 21, 2024
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The 2024 Astros finished 88-73 and in first place in the AL West Division. However, the season was considered a disappointment after Houston lost in the AL Wild Card Series to the Detroit Tigers, 2-0, despite having both games at home. So far in 2025, his Astros are 20-19 and in second place, tied with the Athletics, in the AL West. Some drop-off was expected with the departures of Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker. Even so, Sports Illustrated speculates that Espada could find himself on the hot seat. Life as Pirates manager, with lower expectations, may have been more pleasant for him.
The Organization Man, Part 2
Mark Kotsay played for seven major league teams over 17 years but is most identified with the Athletics. He played for the Athletics from 2004-07, served as their bench coach from 2015-16, and became their quality control coach, whatever that is, in 2017. Finally, he was promoted to manager for the 2022 season. It’s been rough sledding. His records from 2022-24 were 60-102, 50-112, and 69-93, respectively. However, Athletics fans understand the impossible situation he walked into, with bad rosters and the impending on-again, off-again, on-again move to Las Vegas serving as an unwanted distraction.
A typical 2023 Reddit post from UnderwoodF read, “Kotsay should be the manager of the year for having to deal with an ownership who probably doesn’t know who he is but wants his team to lose, having to field questions all year about things [former A’s president Dave] Kaval and [principal owner John] Fisher should have been taking questions on but don’t have the [pair of male body parts commonly associated with courage and reproduction] to, and somehow not ending up with a 1962 Mets record.”
Today, there’s hope as the A’s play in their temporary Sacramento home. Key players have signed contract extensions. Hot prospects have been promoted. They’re 21-20 and, as noted above, tied with the Astros in second place. Kotsay signed a three-year extension last February. Funny how two managers occupy the same place in the standings but are perceived differently and possibly face different futures. Kotsay is better off with the A’s than had he joined the Pirates. If one is going to lose, he should lose where he’s beloved.
The Best Man Came from the Rays (of Course)
Matt Quatraro was the Tampa Bay Rays bench coach when the Pirates interviewed him for their manager position in 2019. Here’s where they may have missed out. Quatraro continued as the Rays bench coach until the Kansas City Royals named him their manager after the 2022 season. In his first season with the Royals, the team went 56-106, finishing last in the AL Central Division. Then in 2024, he presided over an astonishing 30-game improvement, finishing 86-76, good for second place in the Central. This far exceeded expectations. PECOTA projections had the Royals winning 71 games, while ZIPS projections had their win total at 76. His Royals swept the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card Series before losing the Division Series to the New York Yankees.
Like most of the candidates for Pirates manager in 2019, Quatraro was thought to be an up-and-comer because of his embrace of analytics. Last year, he received credit for turning his baserunners loose and for his bullpen usage. Indeed, his use of the stolen base flies in the face of modern metrics that discount its value. (See table below.) With the bullpen, Quatraro eschewed set roles in favor of matchups. The Royals had an astounding 10 pitchers record saves in 2024. This season, Kansas City is 24-18, 2 ½ games behind the first-place Tigers. As a manager, it appears the highly regarded Quatraro is as advertised.
Still Managers in Waiting
Ryan Christenson, who had a six-year career as a major league player, was the Athletics bench coach in 2019 when he was under consideration as Pirates manager. He moved on to become the San Diego Padres bench coach in 2022. The following year, the Padres promoted him to “associate manager,” a title that conjures up thoughts of Dwight Schrute. He became the San Francisco Giants bench coach in 2024.
Colorful Stubby Clapp was the St. Louis Cardinals first base coach when the Pirates interviewed him in 2019. He remains in that position today. In 2017, he was named Manager of the Year in the Pacific Coast League when he managed the Memphis Redbirds. (Yes, sir, whenever I think of the West Coast, I think of Memphis.) He led the Redbirds to consecutive PCL titles in 2017 and 2018. Oddly, his name seldom comes up whenever major league teams are searching for a new manager.
It seems the Pirates had an affinity for bench coaches and first base coaches during their 2019 manager search. They also interviewed six-year major league outfielder and then-Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach George Lombard. After earning a World Series ring with the Dodgers in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he took a position as the Tigers bench coach. Explaining his decision to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Lombard said, “It’s also one of the things I need on my resumé to help me become a major-league manager.” He’s also the father of the Yankees’ No. 1 prospect, George Lombard Jr.
Tragedy Strikes
Mike Bell had a brief major league career, appearing in 19 games with his hometown Cincinnati Reds in 2000. He was Arizona’s director of player development when the Pirates interviewed him in 2019. Ironically, he replaced Shelton on the Minnesota Twins coaching staff when Shelton left to become Pirates manager. Sadly, Bell passed away in 2021 after doctors discovered tumors on his kidneys. He was 46 years old.
The Last Word
Besides his handling of the bullpen, among the common complaints about Shelton as Pirates manager was that he didn’t employ the stolen base or the sacrifice bunt enough or stick to a set lineup, another cure-all according to Pirates fans. Let’s see how he fared compared to the other candidates who have managerial experience. Stats reflected through the 2024 season.
| Shelton | Banister | Espada | Kotsay | Quatraro | |
| Attempts to steal 2B/Chances |
6.7% |
7.9% |
6.6% |
8.3% |
10.8% |
| Attempts to steal 3B/Chances |
2.0% |
1.8% |
1.3% |
2.1% |
3.8% |
| Sacrifice bunt attempts/Chances |
1.2% |
2.0% |
0.8% |
1.7% |
1.3% |
| 162-game avg. number of lineups |
154 |
131 |
147 |
152 |
148 |
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