PITTSBURGH - Don Kelly has already given the Pirates a steadier hand since taking over as manager on May 8, 2025, but there’s still room for another voice in the dugout next season.
That’s where Clint Hurdle comes in.
Hurdle makes sense as a former Pirates manager who could offer Kelly some real support. He was the man in charge during Pittsburgh’s last stretch of sustained success, guiding the club to three straight postseason appearances and National League Wild Card berths in 2013, 2014 and 2015. That run ended more than two decades of playoff drought in Pittsburgh.
Hurdle has also made it clear he still has interest in coaching. On Twitter, he said he is always interested in coaching, as long as the team shows that interest first.
Kelly has had a decent start to his time running the club. After replacing Derek Shelton following a 12-26 start, the Pirates finished 2025 at 57-65 under Kelly.
They were also 44-37 at home. In 2026, they are 75-75 and 6.5 games back in the National League Wild Card race.
There are reasons to like what Kelly brings. He spent more than five seasons as Shelton’s bench coach before becoming manager, and as a former player who was put on waivers multiple times, he understands how difficult it is to stay in the majors. His MLB-leading six ejections also point to a manager who stands up for his players.
Kelly has already had success in a postseason environment, too. Under Pirates Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland, he reached the ALCS twice and the 2012 World Series with the Detroit Tigers.
The part where he could use more help is the daily grind of making the right in-game calls, while also managing a full season, keeping players healthy and getting the most out of the roster.
Hurdle has lived that job for a long time. He managed the Colorado Rockies for eight seasons from 2002-09, then spent nine seasons with the Pirates from 2011-19, giving him 17 seasons of managerial experience overall.
His time in Pittsburgh included the franchise’s climb from 20 consecutive losing seasons between 1993 and 2012 into a team that became one of the most competitive in baseball. But it also came with hard lessons. In both 2011 and 2012, the Pirates were well above .500 late in the year before collapsing and finishing below .500.
That kind of background matters. Hurdle knows what it takes to reach the top, and he knows what it feels like to come up short.
Kelly already brought in another veteran presence in 2025, adding former Pirates manager Gene Lamont as an advisor when he took over. Lamont worked with Leyland in Pittsburgh and Detroit, and his three decades of experience were valuable in Kelly’s first season.
Hurdle could fill a similar lane. He has worked as a special assistant to the general manager with the Colorado Rockies, and during the 2025 season he was both hitting coach and bench coach. That sort of experience could help Kelly with the kind of in-game choices that can swing a night.
One example came on Sept. 12 at Wrigley Field, when Kelly left left-handed relief pitcher Gregory Soto in the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs. Soto allowed two runs on two walks and two hit batters, and the Pirates lost 4-3 instead of making a bullpen change.
Mistakes happen. But that’s exactly why a veteran like Hurdle could be useful - another set of eyes in tense moments, and a steady hand when the pressure starts climbing.
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