Derek Shelton Faces Tough Task In Reviving Moribund Minnesota Twins
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Derek Shelton, new manager of the Minnesota Twins, tells GM Jeremy Zoll why he's upbeat about the 2026 season. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)
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Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reservedDerek Shelton must wonder whether he’s leaping from the frying pan into the fire.
The 15th manager in Minnesota’s history spent part of last summer in Pittsburgh, where the Pirates posted a 12-26 record before the team let him go.
Pittsburgh, which finished at the bottom of the National League Central, has taken off-season steps to improve but the jury is still out about Minnesota, which finished 2025 with the fourth-worst record in the game.
Salary Dump
Compounding the felony, the Twins unloaded 11 players before the 2025 trade deadline, fueling a final finish of 70-92, next-to-last in the five-team American League Central and 18 games from the top.
The primary new faces in the Twin Cities this spring are first baseman Josh Bell and catcher Alex Jackson, journeymen not guaranteed to have starting jobs in Shelton’s lineup.
But if anyone has charisma that can charm a moribund franchise back to life, the bearded pilot is the guy. He was so well-liked during two previous years as Twins bench coach, in 2018 and 2019, that the Pirates gave him six seasons as their manager (2020-25).
“The organization means a ton to me even though I only spent a couple of years there,” he said after his hiring last Oct 30. “I don’t take this for granted. There are only 30 of these positions and they are extremely special.
“There are better things ahead. We are going to build strong relationships and we are going to have a lot of fun as we move forward. I think people are going to be excited about Twins baseball.”
Lopez Hurt
It won’t be easy. Ace pitcher Pablo Lopez is already out for the season after tearing his UCL during spring training, leaving fellow starter Joe Ryan and center-fielder Byron Buxton as the most recognizable names in Twins livery.
Ryan led last year’s team in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average, while Buxton led the hitters in hits, home runs, runs batted in, and stolen bases.
After paring salaries last summer, Minnesota ranks 22nd among the 30 teams with a projected 2026 payroll of $106 million, according to Roster Resource. Buxton, signed through 2028, will earn $15,142,857 this year but could do better elsewhere if he’d waive the no-trade clause in his contract. He insists he doesn’t want to leave.
Ryan agrees. “I’m really happy to be here,” he said this spring. “I think if they started shipping off more guys it would have been a little bit harder.”
The Twins won the American League Central crown in 2023 but have been on a nosedive since, finishing 10.5 games behind in 2024 and 18 behind last year. Their .432 winning percentage was the worst posted by the team in the last five years.
Yet Shelton remains a beacon of optimism in a fog of uncertainty.
“We’re going to be fun to watch,” he insisted to reporters. “We play in a division where no one has really separated themselves.”
Tough Tigers
Perhaps the new pilot forgot about the Detroit Tigers, whose top starter won consecutive Cy Young Awards and got help weeks ago when the team signed free-agent starter Framber Valdez.
New Minnesota manager Derek Shelton started last season as pilot of the Pittsburgh Pirates. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesAdding Valdez behind Tarik Skubal gives the Bengals an impressive 1-2 punch.
Both the Cleveland Guardians, who won the division last year, and Kansas City Royals, who made a myriad of winter improvements, are also potential contenders.
But Buxton believes better health can boost the Twins back into contention. “When you’re healthy, a lot of things start to come your way,” he said.
Disguntled fans discuss the payroll situation with disdain – an attitude owner Tom Pohlad would like to dismiss.
“I’m trying to hear people out, offer a perspective, and take accountability on what has happened,” he said, “and hopefully paint a picture for what we’re trying to build long-term here.”
Star Exodus
Anxious to acquire young players for impending free agents, the Twins unloaded a virtual All-Star team last July. Among those whose salaries were subtracted from the Minnesota payroll were Carlos Correa, Jhoan Duran, Harrison Bader, Willi Castro, Ty France, Danny Coulombe, Louis Varland, Griffin Jax, and Brock Stewart.
The Minnesota bullpen instantly flipped from a plus to a minus – where it still rests.
In Lindy’s Sports Baseball, a pre-season 2026 annual, the “Scout’s Take” section for the Twins concludes, “They’re just banking on the rest of the division being terrible and then getting lucky. They might be further away than they think.”
Armed with a no-trade clause, slugger Byron Buxton is the main attraction of the Minnesota Twins. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesOther than Buxton, who hit 35 home runs last summer, nobody on the roster hit more than 22 out of the park last year. Nobody approached 90 runs batted in. Only Ryan reached double digits in wins and nobody saved more than four games out of the bullpen.
New general manager Jeremy Zoll, like Shelton, will have his work cut out for him. In fact, he may have a tough time lasting as long as predecessor Rocco Baldelli, who spent seven seasons as Minnesota manager before the team made a change.
Shelton had a seven-year run too – as hitting coach for the Tampa Bay Rays under Joe Maddon (2010-16). He later enjoyed success in the same role at Cleveland.
Age No Issue
According to Zoll, Shelton brings vital characteristics to the Minnesota managerial job. At 55, he’s 11 years older than Baldelli but that hardly matters to his new boss.
“He’s a connector. He’s thoughtful. He works tirelessly and he is as competitive as they come,” the GM said of Shelton in an interview for the team’s 2026 spring training magazine.
“He has been through just about everything in this game and has come out of it with a deeper belief in development and collaboration, two core values that are incredibly important to our organization.”
Derek Shelton managed the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2020 to May 8, 2025, compiling a 306-440 (.410) overall record. During his five-plus seasons, he oversaw a rebuilding phase that included back-to-back 100-loss seasons (2021-2022) and two 76-86 finishes (2023-2024). He was fired early in the 2025 season after a 12-26 start.