Pirates manager Derek Shelton: 'We're preparing to win, making decisions to win'

Derek Shelton doesn’t want to dwell on the performances that led the Pittsburgh Pirates to finish with the worst record in baseball last season or the projections that have them losing 100-plus games this summer.

Despite an offseason in which All-Star first baseman Josh Bell and starting pitchers Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon were traded for 11 prospects, the Pirates manager said Tuesday that his focus is on the future and finding ways to win with a young team.

Shelton refused to be distracted by USA Today predicting the Pirates to finish with a 57-105 record, and FanGraphs giving them a 0.4% chance of making the playoffs.

“I think you guys know that I don’t really worry about what’s said outside our clubhouse,” Shelton told Pittsburgh reporters on a video conference call. “I worry about us preparing every day to win. People can say what they want to say and speculate all they want, but I don’t pay much attention to it.”

While the Pirates emphasize building their foundation for the future through young players and prospects, Shelton said he will be managing to win games this season. The Pirates finished 19-41 in his first season for the fifth-worst winning percentage (.317) in franchise history, although it was shortened by the covid-19 pandemic.

“It is a different dynamic,” Shelton said. “We’re preparing to win every night, so we’re thinking about winning. How that affects us going forward will probably be on a night to night basis. But we’re playing every night and preparing to win and making decisions to win.

“One of the things that you touched on there is the way we’re building this thing is going to fun, man. This is going to be a fun journey. I think we’re going to see guys grow and blossom, including myself. I have room for growth as a manager. I’m very aware of that. That’s the part of the game that I’m excited about. I’m looking forward to that 3-3 game in the eighth, the decisions we’re going to make and you guys telling me it was wrong afterwards. That’s the fun part of doing this job.”