'It's extremely humbling': Pirates bench coach Don Kelly could be candidate for manager jobs

Now that their season is over, the Pittsburgh Pirates intend to determine whether to make any changes to the coaching staff. They already know that one move might be out of their hands, as bench coach Don Kelly could be a candidate for one of a handful of manager openings.

After four seasons as Pirates manager Derek Shelton’s bench coach, Kelly has been connected to teams looking for a new skipper. That list starts with openings for the Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. It soon could include the Milwaukee Brewers, who were eliminated by Arizona in the NL wild-card round, as Craig Counsell’s contract has expired.

“It’s just humbling to have your name mentioned along with the names that are mentioned for those jobs,” Kelly told the Tribune-Review. “There’s no denying that. It’s extremely humbling. I’m very content and happy where I’m at and just enjoying the end of this season.

“Being the bench coach, Shelty’s right-hand man, I just try to make sure on a daily basis to communicate and try to do everything I can to make sure we’re moving in the right direction, following Shelty’s lead. It’s been a great experience. I do think that the role does prepare you for that next step.”

Shelton isn’t surprised to see Kelly could be in demand this offseason, considering how well he has handled various roles as bench coach as the Pirates made a 14-win improvement after back-to-back 100-loss seasons. Kelly runs the major league spring training camp, works with the infielders and works closely with Shelton on game planning and decision-making. Kelly’s positive personality has made him a popular figure in the Pirates’ clubhouse and dugout and a front office favorite.

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“Donny’s name should come up on those lists because he’s smart, he understands the game, his ability to build relationships with players is elite, so his name is going to continue to come up on those lists,” Shelton said. “At some point, when the right opportunity presents itself, he’s going to manage in the big leagues. I don’t have any doubt about that. So it does not surprise me and it’s exciting to see because he deserves that recognition.”

This isn’t the first time Kelly has been considered a manager candidate. The Mt. Lebanon and Point Park alum interviewed in 2020 for manager jobs with the Boston Red Sox, who hired Alex Cora, and Detroit Tigers (A.J. Hinch) and was a candidate for the Mets (Buck Showalter) in 2021 before withdrawing his name from consideration.

“I’ve been blessed to have done that,” Kelly said. “It was an awesome experience.”

The Pirates believe it’s only a matter of time before Kelly is hired as a major league manager, given his reputation as one of baseball’s good guys and his vast experience in the game. Kelly, 43, spent nine seasons in the majors as a super utility player with the Pirates, Tigers and Miami Marlins and has plenty of postseason experience. He was a scout with the Tigers for two seasons before being hired as Hinch’s first base coach with the Houston Astros in 2019, when they lost in the World Series to the Washington Nationals.

“I believe Donny’s going to get a chance to manage, assuming he wants to do that,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said. “I believe he does. I think he has all the attributes that if I was somewhere else and going through a search, he would be someone who would have the attributes you’re looking for. He’s got a really good combination of traits, starting with his level of integrity and the values he walks into the park with every day, gives him the opportunity to earn trust with everybody in that room. Players, staff, front office, all of you, I assume. You name it. You start there, and that’s a really good starting point.

“On top of that, the playing experience, the baseball experience he has, the passion for the game, the communicator. He’s got all the equipment to do the job. I feel like that’s a matter of time. I hope, for his sake, if it’s something that he wants to do, I hope it’s a matter of time. In the meantime, as long as he’s the Pirates’ bench coach, we benefit from that, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with him.”