Twins Can't Expect Fans to Be Happy About Rocco Baldelli Sticking Around for 2026

[Matthew Taylor]

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

The Athletic's Dan Hayes reported Tuesday that the Minnesota Twins have picked up manager Rocco Baldelli’s team option for the 2026 season. In doing so, the Twins made it clear that not only is Baldelli safe for the remainder of 2025, but that they intend to continue forward with him leading the team beyond this season. It’s a baffling message to send right now, although it's not clear when the team actually made the decision and Hayes's reporting might have forced them into this untimely acknowledgment.

The Twins have been a bad baseball team for a long time now. They are 49-70 in the 119 games since Jorge Alcala’s meltdown in Texas last summer, and that record doesn't begin to tell the story of how lifeless and sloppy this team has looked. They’re getting beat in ways that well-run teams simply don’t. They’re failing in the details. They’re playing poor defense, running into outs, and routinely losing winnable games.

One-run games, in particular, often shine a light on a manager’s in-game decision-making. The Twins have now lost eight one-run games in a row and are 7-14 in those games on the year; they went 3-6 in those games over the final quarter of last year. It’s not the only problem, but it’s one where a manager can make a difference.

This team is headed toward missing the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. That would be unacceptable for any franchise, but especially one that has consistently had the highest or second-highest payroll in a division as weak as the American League Central. For all the talk of sustained contention and long-term vision, this is a team that continues to fall short.

Right now, the Twins are stuck in their worst stretch of the season. They have lost 11 of 12 and 15 of their last 18. Since this collapse began on June 5, they have the worst pitching staff in baseball, with a 7.67 ERA. And it’s not just numbers painting a bleak picture. In an in-game report on Monday, Audra Martin shared some troubling quotes from Twins batters, including Ty France, who said the Twins need to “take a little bit more pride” in themselves when they fall behind early. Even more troubling were comments from Carlos Correa, who said the team “can do a better job with preparation.” Audra Martin reported that Correa had a conversation with the front office and coaching staff about the team’s lack of readiness.

You want your clubhouse leader holding people accountable, but it’s alarming to hear that your franchise shortstop felt compelled to initiate a conversation on preparedness, one of the most fundamental and important aspects of a manager's job description. And the signs of that lack of preparation show up constantly in the games themselves.

To be fair, it's part of Baldelli's managerial philosophy to have players communicate with each other when expectations aren't being met, or when there's information they can share.

"Staff members can do great things, but the guys in the clubhouse, they’re going through the exact same thing at the exact same time in that room," Baldelli said, back on May 25. "You have guys that have great perspective in there, and there’s nothing like a teammate being real with you and helping you out. That can happen so many different ways, but that’s the best way for it to work. If a staff member in any way feels like they have to be the one to always have a conversation with a player about any topic, you’re probably missing something along the way."

All of this adds up to a message from the front office that feels completely out of touch. The decision to pick up Baldelli’s team option for 2026 might have been made quietly. We don’t know the exact timing of it, and it’s certainly possible the decision was finalized back during the team’s 13-game winning streak earlier this year, or even during spring training. That wouldn’t make it a smart move. It would just make it another example of the organization reacting to the wrong things. The winning streak, for instance, got the team back to .500 but didn’t erase the bad start, nor did it guarantee anything going forward.

There was simply no need to make this move now—or at all. If the team rallies, if Baldelli proves something down the stretch, there would have been time to revisit this later. But having this information leak out during the worst stretch of baseball the Twins have played in years makes it feel like a slap in the face to fans who are tired of being told that everything is fine.

Even if Baldelli isn’t one of the main reasons the Twins are underperforming (and that's a very defensible position), he is still the public face of the team. Managers get fired all the time, less because of what they do strategically and more because of the message it sends when you let them stick around. Keeping him is a vote of confidence not just in his leadership, but in the direction of the organization. Right now, that direction is not acceptable.

The front office didn’t need to fire Baldelli. That’s not the argument. But to pick up his 2026 option right now communicates that they are perfectly okay with how things are going. That’s the problem.

There’s still time for things to turn around. A hot month or two could push the Twins back into the race and take the heat off. But there’s just as much chance that things continue spiraling and the frustration grows louder. Either way, picking up Baldelli’s option was unnecessary, and it sends the wrong message.

Twins fans don’t want to be told that what they’ve seen for five years is good enough. Because it’s not. Unfortunately, with the sale of the team on hold, it seems that all leadership decisions are cleaving to the status quo.

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What do you think about the timing of this decision? Should the Twins have waited to make a call on Rocco's 2026 status? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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[Parfigliano]

Could they be any more tone deaf?  

[dberthia]

There was a time when I cared, but not anymore. This organization is getting everything it deserves. 

[Mike Sixel]

4 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

Could they be any more tone deaf?  

I'm not sure how (now that St. Peter is gone).

[TheLeviathan]

Bad optics for sure.  But frankly.....I don't think most people care enough to care.

[shimrod]

How could the timing make sense? If the FO is fully committed to Rocco and they were starting to hear rumblings of discontent from the players. We signed a couple veterans who know how baseball is supposed to be played and may have spoken up about the difference between winning and Twinsing. 

Message sent. Rocco is running the team the way the FO wants it run. You're not getting him fired; no help is on the way. Get on board with the program.

We'll see if a manager extension can provide the same bump as a manager firing. 

[Blyleven2011]

Are you kidding me , I'm ecstatic that Rocco will be around another year and cheat us out of another winning season  ....

Never going to win with this manager and he will never get voted into the hall of fame for being a good manager ...

On the twins mlb page Leach writes that the front office and manager are mum on the subject of another year  ...

[tony&rodney]

Worth repeating again and again .....

..... same as it ever was.

[BillyBallLives]

I say "Go Rocco, and take Carlos with you".   :)

[Doctor Gast]

Baldelli isn't the main problem, but extending him was premature & crazy. Soooo Falvey.

[laloesch]

The Pohlads have checked out and are just sitting on their hands until this team sells.  This is just them keeping the status quo until new ownership takes over.  I have a sneaking suspicion that Correa is not happy with how things are going and is getting frustrated.  To be honest with the way the team is constructed Falvey should consider asking Correa if he would wave his no trade clause and deal him to a contender to free up salary space and bring back a few prospects. This team is going nowhere and it will be no different next season either with the payroll restrictions.  Put frankly until the team sells their stuck.  Do Correa a favor and deal him while he’s hot and healthy.

[T.O.]

Pretty sure the Twins don't care if the fans are happy.

[Hubie29]

Haven't been to a game in 2 years. Not going this year. Not going next year. Not going until something changes, and I've been a diehard since Herb Carneal days.  No more.

[Sjoski]

I really don't get the Rocco extension...especially the timing...

It's  like giving your dog a treat after it peed on the carpet.

[USAFChief]

"Twins fans don’t want to be told that what they’ve seen for five years is good enough. Because it’s not."

Five years. Five.

Which is why this isn't about just the most recent suckitude.

Timing isn't the issue. It's that they continue to employ a poor manager whose teams can't and/or wont play the game of baseball. 

They're consistently poor at things within the manager's range of responsibilities, as partially touched on above. He should have been replaced no later than last year.

He's an objectively bad MLB manager

 

[Aggies7]

Managers have been fired for so much less with better resumés than RB has. This is a bottom third organization at the moment. Danger of falling further until it’s all torn down and rebuilt. At least they have a nice park to play in. But so do the pirates.

[LastOnePicked]

I don't think the Twins organization is even vaguely aware of the idea of "fans" at this point. We simply don't factor into the equation. No organization who cared about their fans would subject them to low quality output with no recourse or accountability. 

[jkcarew]

One lame duck doing another a solid? Malpractice? Incompetence? Sabotage? Indifference? All of the above?

Any fan should be extremely unhappy if even one of the owner, FO, or manager are in place come November.

[Vanimal46]

No s*** Sherlock

[Gamblerssoftball]

As long as this front office is in place, and Rocco continues to implement analytical decision-making, they have the manager they want. Plain and simple. Nothing changes until the team is sold. 

[mikelink45]

This is a perfect example of the contraction, we aren't going to spend money ownership that has not figured out how to capitalize on success but knows how to pile on when things go bad.  Just stupid and I did not care if he was hired or fired.

[terrydactyls]

The Twins won tonight.  They were inspired by the Rocco extension.  All is well now.

[Fezig]

I may have missed it but have the Twins actually announced it or is it all Dan Hayes? 

[rv78]

I have pretty much checked out a long time ago. When you root for your favorite team to lose, hoping it will force a change that is so long overdue, and then they just reinforce their bad decisions by making more, you walk away. I cannot watch this type of baseball. Owners, Front Office, Manager, Coaches, Star Players, take your pick....... this team is bad and there is no end to it in sight until we have a new Owner, new Front Office, new Manager, new Coaches, and new Star players. Decided to go to a game this summer, we are heading to Kansas City, not Minnesota.

[Doctor Wu]

12 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

Baldelli isn't the main problem, but extending him was premature & crazy.

Very true, I sit on the fence regarding Rocco. He does plenty of things that either puzzle or annoy me, but when you get down to what's wrong with this team, his managing performance is not the biggest issue. That said, when a team is floundering as badly as the Twins are this season, you really and truly need to make some changes, and getting a new manager should be one of the first things you do. Sure, the current ownership issue is a factor in this equation, but still ... it's time for a new guy as manager.

[shimrod]

11 hours ago, LastOnePicked said:

No organization who cared about their fans would subject them to low quality output with no recourse or accountability. 

I would not be surprised if ownership actively resents and despises the fans. They want fans who fill the stadium to capacity and pay for top tier cable packages throughout the local tv area. Instead the team is stuck with empty seats and low revenue streaming. 

We have let this team down. Why should they reward us?

 

[jmlease1]

I generally feel that people overrate the impact of a manager in baseball, and in todays game a lot of what the manager does is behind the scenes in managing the personalities and the clubhouse in ways that aren't seen by the fans (and with players more careful about what they let loose in public it's harder than ever to really get info about what anyone really thinks). But at the same time, the manager is the face of the franchise in many ways, and extending Rocco during what has been pretty rough play going back to last season is remarkably tone deaf.

I don't hate the manager, and some of the hate directed his way has often been very overheated and frequently based on things that seem to exist only in people's heads that despise the manager. But at the same time Rocco hasn't shown he's a superior manager, just one that falls into that mushy middle in MLB where is the players are healthy and playing well, the team wins and he looks good. When they have injuries and are playing poorly, he looks bad. Well, they're playing poorly and have a key injury (Pablo). He's done nothing to show that he deserves an extension.

It's an insult to the fans, which this franchise shows little concern about year over year. Can't wait for the team to be sold, but it sounds like it's not happening any time soon. Sigh.

[Hubie29]

13 minutes ago, shimrod said:

I would not be surprised if ownership actively resents and despises the fans. They want fans who fill the stadium to capacity and pay for top tier cable packages throughout the local tv area. Instead the team is stuck with empty seats and low revenue streaming. 

We have let this team down. Why should they reward us?

 

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

[MMMordabito]

9 hours ago, terrydactyls said:

The Twins won tonight.  They were inspired by the Rocco extension.  All is well now.

And Rocco let Buck run after two pitcher disengagements and after his interview on the running game was broadcast! Lookout, Detroit!

[Fire Dan Gladden]

13 hours ago, laloesch said:

The Pohlads have checked out and are just sitting on their hands until this team sells.  This is just them keeping the status quo until new ownership takes over.  I have a sneaking suspicion that Correa is not happy with how things are going and is getting frustrated.

100% this.

The decision to extend Rocco was not made as an endorsement, it is just one box to check, one less thing to worry about for the time being. If there is an internal choice to let Rocco go, no quality manager would want to come in until the ownership situation is resolved.

You better bet Correa is frustrated. He was promised efforts to build a winning team, not treading water while his career wastes away.

I am not going to blame the FO (bring on the hate), especially for the last 2ish years. Their hands have been tied so tight by ownership, we will never really know about opportunities lost. As usual, the fans take the beating of the Pohlad's tone-deaf, approach.