The Twins have dismissed long-time manager Rocco Baldelli after missing the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.
The decision comes the day after the Twins finished a disappointing 70-92 season in which they could never find offensive consistency and eventually sold off at the trade deadline, shipping away 10 major league players.
After the Twins collapsed down the stretch last season, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey expressed public support in the manager. At that time, the Twins let go of three hitting coaches and assistant bench coach Tony Diaz, reshaping the staff around Baldelli.
But he couldn’t survive yet another fourth-place finish, one in which the Twins lost at least 90 games for the first time since 2016.
Baldelli, 44, was hired after the 2018 season to take over for Paul Molitor. In seven seasons at the helm of the Twins, he led them to the postseason three times and finished 527-505 (.511). His 527 wins are second on the team’s all-time managerial win list behind just Tom Kelly and Ron Gardenhire.
The move kicks off what should be an offseason of change for the Twins’ front office, which has its work cut out for itself to rebuild an underperforming roster.
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