Pirates Crash May be End for Derek Shelton
Just a few weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates were right in the thick of the National League wild card race, batting for a postseason spot along with the Padres, Diamondbacks, Braves, Mets, Giants, Cardinals, Cubs, and Reds.
It felt like the Pirates were beginning to turn the corner in July, posting the fourth-best record (15-10) during the month and adding a couple of bats in Isiah Kiner-Falefa an Bryan De La Cruz who were expected to make this lineup a little more respectable.
All of that hope and optimism was erased by a 10-game losing streak which came against the very teams they are jostling with for a wild card berth. The Bucs lost two of three to Arizona, were swept at home and on the road by the Padres, and were swept by the Dodgers in between. They finally put an end to that dreadful stretch on Friday night with Paul Skenes on the mound and then proceeded to take game two from the Mariners before falling flat in a sweep attempt of their own on Sunday.
If this downfall continues, some key members of the Pirates are going to be in danger of losing their jobs. Bob Nightengale of USA Today stated such in his Sunday column. "The Pittsburgh Pirates’ free-fall out of the NL wild-card race could cost manager Derek Shelton his job, or at least result in some changes on his coaching staff."
This is year five for Shelton, and this front office for that matter, and they don't have much to show for it. The offense has been horrendous during his tenure which is not ideal when hitting is the manager's background. Despite the horrid results, the Pirates have continued to stick with hitting coach Andy Haines and the decision to do so could be what spells the end for the field manager.
The majority of Pittsburgh's most consistent hitters have been brought in from the outside or were developed in another organization. The homegrown talent has failed to come through with the exception of Nick Gonzales. The bigger issue? There's not much down on the farm as far as hitters are concerned, meaning help isn't necessarily on the way.
Missing out on the playoffs doesn't equate to a disappointing season if they're able to climb back within reach of the wild card and fall a little short. But completely crumbling to pieces in the final two months of the season is not acceptable. Not in year five.
