The Minnesota Twins have picked former bench coach Derek Shelton as their new manager. Shelton managed the Pittsburgh Pirates for five-plus years.

The Twins made a formal announcement on Thursday and scheduled an introductory news conference for Shelton on Tuesday. Shelton had an overall record of 306-440 with the Pirates before he was fired just 40 games into this season. 

KSTP Sports spoke with former Twins GM Thad Levine about Shelton. Levine is close with Shelton, having worked together in 2018 and 2019.

***Click the video box above to watch our conversation with Levine about the hiring of Shelton***

“We’ve seen firsthand the trust and respect he earns from players and how he helps them reach their best,” Twins President Derek Falvey said in a statement distributed by the team. “His journey, through both the successes and the tough stretches, has given him real perspective as a leader. That balance and his connection to what this place means to people will serve our players and staff well as we work to build something lasting for our fans and for Minnesota.”

Shelton will be the 15th manager of the Twins, who began in 1961 after the franchise moved from Washington, but he’s the first hire in their history with previous experience as a major league manager. Shelton, a native of Carbondale, Illinois, began his professional coaching career in 1997 in the New York Yankees farm system he played two seasons in. He had major league jobs on staffs with Cleveland, Tampa Bay and Toronto, with a total of 12 seasons as a hitting coach.

The Twins are 82-119 over their last 201 games for a .408 winning percentage, and that includes a 13-game winning streak this season.

Attendance has swooned at Target Field. The Twins finished with their lowest total for 81 home games (a little more than 1.7 million tickets sold) in a non-pandemic season since 2000 when they played at the cramped and dingy Metrodome and went 69-93.

Fans mostly have directed their disdain toward ownership, with deep frustration over cost cutting that came after the 2023 breakthrough Baldelli led with the end of a record 18-game postseason losing streak and the club’s first win of a playoff series in 21 years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

For Related Stories: Minnesota Twins  Sports Features  Thad Levine  Twins