After managing the Pittsburgh Pirates for six seasons, Derek Shelton is ready for his next chapter with the Minnesota Twins.
“I’m where my feet are. I’m happy with where I’m at. I love the group here,” he told A.J. Pierzynski on “Foul Territory” this week.
While Shelton’s looking forward to managing the Twins this season, he’s not bitter about getting fired by the Pirates last year following their 12-26 start. He’s also not resentful that they finally went out and made some big upgrades over the winter, signing multiple free agents and increasing their payroll considerably.
Instead, he’s just happy for Pittsburgh fans and hopes they have a good season.
“I’m happy for that fan base. They deserve a winner.”
Derek Shelton says there’s no ill will toward the Pirates now that they’re spending after letting him go. pic.twitter.com/FVVMHdOGOH
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 12, 2026
“I’m happy for that group. I’m happy for that fan base. That fan base deserves a winner,” Shelton said. “I’m happy for Ben…and they’ve done some good things this offseason…There’s no ill will at all.”
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The 55-year-old also reiterated that he’s still grateful to the organization for giving him his first Major League managing job.
The Pirates are hoping to turn things around this year coming off seven straight losing seasons. Between their big offseason additions, Paul Skenes and Konnor Griffin, they have an exciting team this year.
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Meanwhile, Shelton has a similar goal in Minnesota with the Twins coming off 92 losses — their most since 2016.
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