The Minnesota Twins will bring back Rocco Baldelli as their manager next year after they collapsed down the stretch and missed the 2024 postseason.
“Rocco is my manager,” Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey told reporters before Sunday’s 6-2 loss to the visiting Baltimore Orioles.
Baldelli, 43, guided the Twins to an 87-75 record and an American League Central title last season. They then swept the Toronto Blue Jays in the wild-card round for their first victorious playoff series in 21 years.
The Twins also went 101-61 in 2019, Baldelli’s first year on the job, and won the division in each of his first two seasons in Minneapolis.
The Twins are 457-413 in six years under Baldelli, including 82-80 this year. They were 70-53 after a win on Aug. 17 but then went 12-27 the rest of the way, allowing the division rival Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers to pass them in the wild-card race.
“It couldn’t be more disappointing as far as the season went,” Baldelli said after the season-ending setback. “Everyone knows that. I feel very repetitive having to declare that all the time but that is the truth. We all know that.
“We broke down as the season went on and that’s hard to say, but it happened. That’s the way the season went for us.”
–Field Level Media
