Contemplating Rocco Baldelli’s Future with the Twins

Rocco Baldelli is nearing the end of his fourth season at the helm of the Minnesota Twins. His first year as manager couldn’t have gone much better as he helped guide the team to 101 wins and a division title. MLB named him the AL Manager of the Year, and it seemed like the team was heading in a positive direction. 

During his second season, the COVID pandemic impacted nearly every aspect of the game, from spring training through the playoffs. Baldelli guided the Twins to a second consecutive division title even with all the distractions in 2020. He won 60% or more of his games in each of his first two seasons, but then the wheels came off in 2021. 

Last season was an unmitigated disaster from the start of the season. Minnesota went 9-15 in April and ended up with one month (August) when the team had a winning record. It didn’t seem to matter what buttons he pushed during the season’s first half, but the team didn’t quit on him. Even as the team headed for a last-place finish, the club went 29-28 from the start of August until the season’s end. Young pitchers like Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober also gave hope to an improved 2022 Twins roster.

Entering the 2022 season, most projection systems had the Twins pegged to finish around .500. By the end of May, those expectations had changed because Minnesota went 30-21 to start the year. Unfortunately, the Twins have been playing below .500 since that point and have little margin for error over the season’s final month. Even with altered expectations, Minnesota still has an opportunity to make the playoffs for the third time in four seasons under Baldelli. 

The way the season has played out is one of the most frustrating things for fans. Minnesota made a splash by signing Carlos Correa to a giant contract shortly after the lockout ended. Correa has provided leadership, but his on-field performance has been below his typical level, which isn’t something Baldelli can control.

A manager can only be as good as the roster he is given, and the Twins roster had some evident flaws from the season’s start. Minnesota’s pitching staff had holes and injuries, and poor play only magnified those flaws. The front office tried to remedy those issues at the trade deadline, and the pitching staff has improved in recent weeks. However, the line-up has struggled to score runs, and the team is struggling to stay in playoff contention. 

When a team plays well, a manager will get credit for pushing all the right buttons. When a team struggles, a manager gets most of the blame. Injuries have dramatically impacted Minnesota’s lineup as this roster would look significantly different with a healthy Ryan Jeffers, Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach, and Royce Lewis. That being said, every team deals with injuries, and the best managers find ways to win games even when injuries occur, especially those managers of the high-salaried teams.  

Luckily, the front office won’t be forced into deciding until this winter. Minnesota has only had four different managers since Tom Kelly took the reins near the end of the 1986 season. It seems unlikely for the Twins to go in a different direction at the manager position as this front office picked Baldelli, and he guided the team to multiple division titles. The Twins may turn it on and end the year strongly, but a poor finish may have fans calling for new leadership in the dugout. 

Do you think Baldelli’s future with the club is in jeopardy? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.