Pirates' Derek Shelton firing just turned up the temperature on John Schneider's hot seat

The Pittsburgh Pirates play in a scenic ballpark and have a rich history as one of the oldest franchises in Major League Baseball.

But any good vibes those factors have generated have come to a screeching halt as of late. The Pirates are currently operating with a postseason drought that dates back to 2015 (the second-longest in all of MLB), and they just became the first team to pull the trigger on a managerial change for 2025.

The struggling club canned manager Derek Shelton after only 38 games, making it one of the earliest mid-season managerial changes in MLB history. It should serve as a wake-up call for other managers who find themselves on the hot seat.

The Toronto Blue Jays are another team in the midst of a slow start this season, and it's felt like the same problems from last year are beginning to rear their head. The fans are naturally searching for something or someone to blame for this string of disappointment and underachievement on.

Which brings us to Blue Jays manager John Schneider. He signed a three-year contract at the end of the 2022 season, and has been the dugout leader during this string of frustration. Earlier this season there was some chatter around his status as a manager on the hot seat, and Shelton's firing won't do anything to quell those flames.

While acknowledging that a manager is hardly responsible for all that ails a baseball franchise, Schneider has been around long enough for an impression of him to crystallize.

And it's not like this is the only season where he's had things to answer for. There's the 2023 playoff decision that's still baffling. Or his delayed reaction to removing George Springer from the leadoff spot last season.

What makes the firing of Shelton intriguing is that it seems that the penurious Pirates are going to be paying someone for not working this season.

Baseball teams are comfortable doing this if they believe it can spark a turnaround. So will the Blue Jays do something similar with Schneider even though they hold an option on his contract for 2026?

Maybe the Blue Jays could benefit from such a change. The Blue Jays were a trendy pick to win the American League pennant before the season, but their results don't look so pristine at the moment.

MLB is a copycat league and rival clubs will observe the example of this Pirates to inform their own decision-making. The Blue Jays' mid-season firing of manager Charlie Montoyo in 2022 shook things up and contributed to a postseason appearance.

There are other examples of an early season firing sparking a team. The most highest-profile example of late is the 2022 Philadelphia Phillies, who fired manager Joe Girardi after a 22-29 start before appearing in the World Series that autumn.

Things are clearly getting restless in Toronto, and the rest of the league could set the standard in the coming weeks. The Blue Jays are in win-now mode this season.

If the Blue Jays ownership group is more responsible than the Pirates, they have to ponder how a firing of Schneider would impact them. It feels like the rubber will be meeting the road very soon.