Pirates extend manager Don Kelly

The Pittsburgh Pirates extended the contract of manager Don Kelly, they announced Monday.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Kelly, 45, was promoted to manager May 8 after the franchise fired longtime skipper Derek Shelton following a 12-26 start. Although the Pirates still finished last in the NL Central, they showed a marked improvement after the managerial change, going 59-65 under Kelly. The Pirates were one game below .500 during the second half and ended 2025 with a winning record at home.

"Donnie has earned the respect of the players, front office, and our fans - and he has certainly earned mine," Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. "Donnie took over the team at a true low point. Since then, we've seen meaningful progress, not just in the clubhouse culture, but on the field.

"His connection to the community and passion for the franchise make him more than just a manager. He is a Pittsburgher; he is part of our community. He's the right fit, at the right time, and is the right person to lead us forward."

Kelly will now be tasked with taking a young and perpetually rebuilding Pirates squad that's led by likely NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes to the next level. The Bucs just finished their seventh straight losing season and have made the playoffs only three times in the wild-card era, winning a single playoff series - the 2013 NL wild-card game - over that span.

"This season, we fell well short as an organization both on and off the field," Nutting said. "It has been unacceptable. Our focus must shift to execution, to delivering wins. Results are the only thing that matter. We owe it to our fans, to the city, and to the legacy of this team to get it right. ... Today's announcement of Donnie is the first of many steps we will take this offseason to bring winning baseball back to Pittsburgh."

Kelly, a Pittsburgh native, spent four-plus seasons as Shelton's bench coach before his promotion to manager. He also had a nine-year playing career in the majors, primarily with the Detroit Tigers.

In addition to retaining Kelly, Pittsburgh announced that general manager Ben Cherington will return for a seventh season heading up the club's baseball operations.

Cherington has yet to build a winning team during his time with the Pirates, who had the fourth-lowest payroll in the majors on Opening Day this year, per Spotrac. However, the 51-year-old has signed and developed bright young stars, including pitchers Skenes and Bubba Chandler, who provide a potential foundation going forward.

Pirates president Travis Williams made it clear they're retaining Cherington with the expectation that he'll build a competitive team that can reach the playoffs next year.

"We felt at the end of the day that making a change at general manager would set us back," Williams said, per 93.7 The Fan. "That's not what our fans expect. That's not what we expect. We're looking in 2026 to make the playoffs. Period. Full stop. ... We're pushing it all in and making sure that we are able to make the playoffs in 2026."