Twins hire Derek Shelton as their next manager after disappointing 2025

The Twins have a new manager. 

Minnesota is hiring Derek Shelton as the franchise’s next skipper, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported Wednesday. 

Yankees hitting coach James Rowson was one of the candidates for the job, so Shelton’s hiring likely means the Bombers will have one of their bench lieutenants back in 2026.

Shelton was previously the manager of the Pirates from 2020 until his firing this spring after Pittsburgh got off to a slow start. 

Pirates manager Derek Shelton, left, talks with umpire Mike Estabrook between innings of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 3, 2025. AP

He was fired as the Pirates manager on May 8 after a 12-26 start that included several controversies. 

The 55-year-old had a 306-440 record during his tenure with the Pirates, who never topped 76 wins in any campaign under Shelton.

“Derek worked incredibly hard and sacrifice a lot over five-plus years. His family became a big part of the Pirates family, and we will miss that,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said in the team’s statement after Shelton’s firing. “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 change is now necessary. I wish Derek and his family all the best in their next chapter.”

Shelton previously spent two seasons as the bench coach for the Twins in 2018 and 2019 under Paul Molitor and then Rocco Baldelli before taking the job in Pittsburgh.

He joins a Twins squad coming off a disappointing 2025 season. 

Manager Derek Shelton of the Pittsburgh Pirates takes the ball from Carmen Mlodzinski #50 and takes him out of the game during the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on April 30, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Getty Images

After coming into the season with playoff hopes, the Twins were active in selling at the trade deadline and finished 70-92, which was the franchise’s worst full-season record since 2016. 

The team fired Baldelli after seven seasons at the helm, one day after the underwhelming campaign ended. 

Baldelli went 527-505, winning three American League Central titles, during his seven-year run.