Chicago Cubs: Which first time manager will have the most success?

Chicago Cubs: Derek Shelton

It took a while, with the hire of a new general manager in Ben Cherington, but the Pittsburgh Pirates finally selected a new manager in Derek Shelton. Nothing at all against Shelton, but it’s hard to see him having much success in the foreseeable future with his new team.

With the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago Cubs all still trying to contend, along with the anticipated rise of the Cincinnati Reds, the Pirates appear to be the only team in the National League Central that doesn’t have much chance of contending in 2020. There isn’t much to work with on the pitching staff, especially now that star closer Felipe Vazquez is facing legal trouble.

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The Pirates would be wise to explore trade possibilities for their standout center fielder Starling Marte, as they could probably get a decent haul of young talent in return for him. There also has been the talk of trading first baseman Josh Bell, coming off a career year, but that doesn’t appear as likely. They also may trade pitcher Chris Archer, though his value has gone down significantly in recent years.

The Pirates’ lineup doesn’t have a lot of thump, but they do have some good hitters. Bryan Reynolds and Kevin Newman both batted over .300 in 2019, while Adam Frazier and Colin Moran were both solid contributors.

Still, 2020 figures to be a long year in Pittsburgh. Their priority needs to be beefing up the farm system, and it’s hard to say when they’ll be ready to contend again. Shelton has a tall task ahead of him next year.