Mark Madden: Does it matter if Don Kelly returns as Pirates manager?

As the Pittsburgh Pirates mercifully put a wrap on another stinker of a season, whispers circulate that Don Kelly isn’t a lock to return as manager.

Maybe that shouldn’t be surprising.

Kelly replaced Derek Shelton on May 8 after previously serving as Shelton’s bench coach. Kelly never officially had the “interim” removed from his title.

When Kelly was flirting with posting a .500 record for himself, the citizens prematurely reacted as if Kelly was Chuck Tanner dipped in Danny Murtaugh.

But that artificial accomplishment crashed and burned. Kelly’s mark stands at 57-64, and the Pirates have lost 13 of their last 18.

Shelton was 12-26 this season, a winning percentage of .316.

Kelly’s winning percentage is .471.

That’s a significant difference. But not enough to guarantee Kelly’s retention, let alone a long-term contract. (It’s not a long-term job.)

It really doesn’t matter who manages the Pirates. Whoever does is expected to adhere to analytics as dictated. Kelly’s future likely hinges more on how he does that than it does his record.

The Pirates have pitching. You may have noticed.

They have Paul Skenes, baseball’s best pitcher. They lead MLB in shutouts with 19.

But they’re still in last place.

They have a lesser record this season than in 2024.

How on earth did the Pirates get worse, despite Skenes and all those shutouts?

It speaks to the Pirates’ abject lack of hitting more than it does any failings on Kelly’s part.

The Pirates weren’t a different team under Kelly.

Maybe initially, to some degree, because of the adrenaline that accompanies any managerial change.

But mostly, the Pirates were rotten and sloppy under Kelly just like they were under Shelton. They kept having more than their share of “Yakety Sax” moments and couldn’t avoid long losing streaks. (They dropped 12 of 13 from Sept. 5-Sept. 19.)

Certain individuals did improve. But that’s probably coincidence, the ups and downs of a 162-game season.

Skenes was great. But he’s foolproof. Doesn’t matter who manages him.

Oneil Cruz is hitting .201, .102 vs. lefties. He’s struck out 173 times. Doesn’t matter who manages him, either.

Kelly is from Mt. Lebanon.

Would ditching Kelly alienate an affluent ticket-buying community?

With a franchise where every dollar matters but who manages doesn’t, that might be a small consideration.

Then again, maybe Mt. Lebanon figures that Kelly has suffered enough.

I’d bring Kelly back. He’s done OK.

Getting a better manager is improbable. Nobody with a name, cachet, a resume and/or better prospects wants that job. Nor would the Pirates pay a manager like that what he’d require.

Kelly should want to come back. He’s unlikely to get a job managing anywhere else.

Kelly undoubtedly works cheap. That might be his biggest qualification in ownership’s eyes.

GM Ben Cherington is the fans’ scapegoat.

But owner Bob Nutting might feel different.

Cherington works with a tight budget. In that context, perhaps Nutting feels that Cherington performs adequately.

Cherington also shields Nutting from a degree of rancor by serving as a pantomime villain.

It doesn’t matter who the manager and GM are. The Pirates will keep not spending, keep finishing last, keep wasting Skenes and keep being an embarrassment.

And many of you will keep being fooled.

All you need is that odd burst of new-guy energy: “HUNTER BARCO! DID YOU SEE HUNTER BARCO?”

When Konnor Griffin arrives, Pittsburgh might spontaneously combust.