PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates may soon be ready to name their next manager.
Pittsburgh has narrowed its managerial search to Twins bench coach Derek Shelton and Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro, according to MLB Network insiders Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman, and the Pirates could make a final decision before Thanksgiving.
The club has not commented on or confirmed the reports. General manager Ben Cherington last spoke publicly about the Pirates’ managerial search on the day he was officially introduced, saying it was his top priority.
Both Shelton and Quatraro seem to be highly qualified candidates with plenty of relevant experience. In fact, they come from somewhat similar professional backgrounds.
Shelton, 49, has been the Twins’ bench coach for the past two years. He spent 2017 as the Blue Jays’ quality control coach, a position where he crossed paths with Cherington while he was in Toronto’s front office. Shelton served as the Rays’ hitting coach under manager Joe Maddon for seven seasons ('10-16) and worked as the Indians’ hitting coach for five years ('05-09) before that. Primarily a catcher before elbow surgery ended his two-year Minor League career, Shelton managed in the Yankees’ system for three years.
Quatraro, 46, was promoted from third-base coach to Rays bench coach last season. He also worked with outfielders on their defensive positioning. Quatraro was the Indians’ assistant hitting coach under manager Terry Francona for four seasons (2014-17) and the Rays’ Minor League hitting coordinator for four years ('10-13) before that. Primarily a catcher, he also played first base and the outfield during his seven-year career in the Rays’ Minor League system. Quatraro became the first Rays Minor Leaguer to join the organization's coaching staff in '04, when he began the year as a catching instructor and finished as the hitting coach for Class A Short-Season Hudson Valley. He wound up managing four seasons in the Minors.
In other words: Both of the Pirates’ finalists are in their late 40s, were catchers when they played, have managed in the Minors, have extensive experience as hitting coaches, have worked in small markets (including Tampa Bay and Cleveland) and spent last season as bench coaches for postseason teams in the American League.
Both are respected around the Majors by players and staff alike. Shelton is considered more outgoing, while Quatraro, whose Players’ Weekend nickname this year was “Fun Police,” is typically described as quiet. They have learned from highly esteemed managers, including Maddon and Francona, and they spent last year working alongside a pair of younger, well-regarded managers: Minnesota’s Rocco Baldelli (the 2019 AL Manager of the Year Award winner and a former Rays coach) and Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash (also a former Indians coach).
Shelton and Quatraro were believed to be among the group of candidates interviewed by former Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, who began the managerial search process last month after dismissing Clint Hurdle on the final day of the regular season. Huntington was then relieved of his duties by chairman Bob Nutting in late October, when the club hired president Travis Williams. Cherington, who said he was comfortable with the groundwork laid by Huntington, was charged with completing the search.
Whether it’s Shelton or Quatraro, the Pirates’ next manager will have to quickly fill out Pittsburgh’s Major League coaching staff.
The club dismissed bench coach Tom Prince and pitching coach Ray Searage in early October, and assistant hitting coach Jacob Cruz recently joined the Brewers in the same role. Third-base coach Joey Cora reportedly interviewed for the Pirates’ managerial post and was mentioned as a candidate to join Carlos Beltrán as the Mets’ bench coach before New York decided to hire Hensley Meulens.