The last-place Pirates are a mess, both on and off the field. On Thursday, general manager Ben Cherington fired manager Derek Shelton and handed Kelly a mop, asking the club's longtime bench coach to bring some of his “teacher's heart” to the job as Shelton's replacement.

The Pirates announced Thursday that Derek Shelton has been relieved of his duties as manager, a shake-up that had become expected in recent weeks as the team fell further back in the National League Central.