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PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton has a bit of advice for his players as they prepare to report to spring training.
Tune out the outside noise. All of it.
Shelton is aware expectations aren't particularly high for a club in the midst of a massive overhaul under Shelton and general manager Ben Cherington. The Pirates finished with the worst record in the truncated 2020 season and spent the winter flipping established major leaguers like first baseman Josh Bell and starting pitchers Jameson Taillon and Joe Musgrove for prospects, most of whom won't arrive in Pittsburgh for a year or two, if they arrive at all.
While Shelton is fully on board with the process -- saying on the eve of pitchers and catchers reporting to Pirates City in Bradenton, Florida that he is in "alignment" with Cherington -- he also is aware there could be some short-term pain involved.
"Like I said before, man, this is going to be a fun journey, because we're going to win," Shelton said Tuesday. "And if it takes time, I'm all in for the time. But I can't wait for our fans to ride this journey with me and the group."
His group lacks star power and leadership, at least for now. Third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes is the closest the Pirates have to a face of the franchise, finishing sixth in National League Rookie of the Year voting following a fabulous September. Still, Shelton is in no rush to anoint Hayes or anyone else to become the most important voice in the clubhouse.
"I don't think that you can establish that one person is a leader because of X, Y and Z," Shelton said. "With the people that we traded away that were leaders, we're going to see some guys step up and take those roles. I'm excited to see who those people are but I'm not going to tell someone they have to do that or appoint someone."
The departures leave Shelton with a variety of positions to fill over the next six weeks. There's at least one spot open in the starting rotation, maybe more. Shelton declined to endorse Richard Rodriguez as closer, even though Rodriguez filled in capably when he inherited the role over the final month. The middle of the infield and center field are both a bit of a mystery.