The Minnesota Twins fired manager Rocco Baldelli after a horrific 2025 MLB season. Minnesota failed to come close to qualifying for the postseason. In fact, they lost 90+ games for the first time since 2016. With the offseason about to begin following the World Series, Minnesota appears to be closing in on a new manager.
The Twins are reportedly considering a group of four candidates, according to The Athletic's Dan Hayes and Brittany Ghiroli. The names remaining in the hunt for this job are Derek Shelton, James Rowson, Scott Servais, and Ryan Flaherty. Names such as Vance Wilson, Nick Punto, and Ramon Vasquez are no longer under consideration, according to Hayes and Ghiroli.
Of the four candidates, Shelton and Servais have previous manager experience. Shelton most recently managed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was hired by Pittsburgh in November 2019. However, he was fired in May 2024 as the team lingered near the bottom of the league.
Servais, meanwhile, is the former manager of the Seattle Mariners. He was hired by Seattle after the 2016 season, and he led the Mariners to their first postseason birth since 2003 by claiming a Wild Card spot in 2021. The Mariners fired Servais in August 2024 after the team collapsed during the season.
Flaherty does have managing experience on an interim basis. He was the acting manager of the San Diego Padres in June 2022 when Bob Melvin went into COVID-19 protocol. He currently serves as the bench coach of the Chicago Cubs.
Rowson is the only candidate without managerial experience. In saying this, he has experience with the Twins. He served as the team's hitting coach from 2017 to 2019. Shelton also has experience with the Twins, serving as Minnesota's bench coach before being hired by Pittsburgh.
The Twins are hoping to turn things around after a rough season. This starts with hiring the best manager for the job. It appears as if Minnesota is close to hiring its man, and it will be interesting to see who wins the race for this vacancy.
