Derek Shelton’s message to the Pittsburgh Pirates never wavered, even as they traded away top players amid a major rebuild and endured the embarrassment of successive 100-loss seasons.

Shelton preached positivity and believing in the process, which has been rewarded with the best start in three decades and a contract extension beyond the 2023 season that Pirates general manager Ben Cherington called a “no-brainer” upon announcing it Saturday afternoon.

“I believe this was part of the plan, and I believe that this was part of the message that we put forth,” Shelton said. “Going through those times has made us better organizationally. It’s challenging. …

“I think the positivity that we’ve tried to portray as a staff and the consistency that we’ve tried to portray as a staff has been really important. But, you know, there’s light at the end of the tunnel, and we’re moving in the right direction and that’s really important to me.”

With his entire coaching and support staff standing in the back of the news conference room at PNC Park, Shelton thanked Pirates chairman Bob Nutting, team president Travis Williams and Cherington for their faith in him and continued commitment toward player development.

“We’ve talked about the lifeblood of our organization is going to be our system,” Shelton said. “I think the fact that Bob and Travis and Ben are showing that, like, ‘OK, the guy that’s sitting in this chair, we have the faith and we’re moving forward that, organizationally we know we’re in a really good spot and we’re continuing to build.’ And I think that’s really important message that resonates organizationally.”

Shelton, 52, in his fourth season as manager, has the Pirates (14-7) off to their best start since 1992. The Pirates were riding a five-game winning streak entering Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park and are a half-game behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the NL Central.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton discusses the importance of his contract extension beyond the 2023 season. pic.twitter.com/CaSq4k8odD

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) April 22, 2023

Cherington declined to reveal terms of the deal but said the extension talks began in spring training and were not a reaction to the Pirates’ fast start. Cherington credited Shelton for his communication skills, especially in the face of adversity, and baseball savvy.

“It was important to both of us that we talked about this in the context of what we both want to accomplish together going forward and what we both need to invest in to continue to help the Pirates get better, win at the highest possible level and be able to sustain that,” Cherington said.

“I am very excited to have a chance to continue to work with him. Really believe he’s the right person for the job. He’s worked tirelessly for over three years now to help put us in a stronger position to win. All of the work that goes into building our culture, the way we prepare for games, the way we treat each other, the relationships that are built, I think we’re starting to see the fruits of that labor. And, importantly, we both need to continue to work so hard together to continue that progress. I’m thrilled to be working with him and our entire major-league staff. Excited about all that we can accomplish going forward.”

Shelton had a 142-242 record in his first three seasons. The Pirates traded All-Star outfielder Starling Marte before Shelton even managed a game, the first of several high-profile players to be dealt for prospects.

The Pirates had the worst record in the major leagues (19-41) in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, then traded All-Star first baseman Josh Bell and starting pitchers Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon in the offseason. They went 61-101 in ’21, dealing All-Star second baseman Adam Frazier at the trade deadline, and finished 62-100 last year to mark their first back-to-back 100-loss seasons since the mid-1950s.

Pirates players learned of the extension on Twitter and congratulated Shelton inside the clubhouse. Outfielder Bryan Reynolds expressed his excitement after taking batting practice, calling Shelton “the right guy to lead us.”

“Obviously, I love playing for ‘Shelty,’ so to see him get extended is a good thing,” said Reynolds, who stressed that Shelton remained upbeat despite the teardown and rebuild. “He just showed up the same every day. He was the same guy even though we were losing 100 games a year. There was no panic. There was no personality switch, which can’t be easy. I know that as a player, it’s hard to show up and be the same guy, but he did it.”

Reliever Wil Crowe, acquired from Washington in the Bell trade, called Shelton “our guy” and credited him for how he treats players with an honest approach during difficult times. Crowe also said Shelton didn’t deserve lame-duck status.

“There’s building blocks. You build around players, but when you have a guy at the top like that who everyone trusts, respects and loves to play for, that helps build a winning franchise,” Crowe said. “He knew the process. He bought into the process, just like we did. He knew what he was going through. It’s tough to do that because we don’t want to lose. He’s been steadfast and headstrong and there for us, even when the going’s not great. You see what we’re doing now, and that’s a testament to not only us as players but the staff we’ve got. We’re extremely happy for him.”

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