6 Candidates to Be the Next Manager of the Minnesota Twins

[DuluthRoots]

5% of Twin's success next year, at most, will be a consequence of the manager. 95% will be a consequence of the payroll/personnel decisions. So hire whom you will, and focus on signing the best players (I wish).

[Greglw3]

19 minutes ago, shimrod said:

I agree, but I'm going to play devils advocate. 

We saw Rocco completely change his approach to running after the deadline. Appeared he saw his previous risk averse philosophy was actually adding risk. Thrown out or left standing (or doubled off)....there are downsides to passivity on the bases, esp. with our contact challenged hitters. 

Bottom line, people can change and even the most stubborn may eventually figure it out. 

Maybe, just maybe, Falvey realizes his micro management of the on field product has not succeeded and the way forward is to hire a strong manager and let him manage. 

I don't think this is likely but it is not impossible. 

Joe Maddon would be the best on field tactician and run a game by far better than Rocco. Must add hitting but Madden is in a small group of 3 living managers who would instantly solve the myriad quirky ways Baldelli managed games including his lineups. Terry Francona (not available), Jim Leyland (too old??) and Joe Maddon. For me, he way he managed the Rays was flat out intimidating as his opponent. Excellence to the core.

[nicksaviking]

38 minutes ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

I would argue that setting players up to make the transition from one level to the next is crucial to their success in the majors, and that IS ultimately the AAA manager’s job.  No one actually cares about wins and losses in AAA.  It’s all about development of skills and preparing them to be ready for the majors.  It’s also where those missing fundamentals should be addressed, not from the major league manager’s bench.  

And just about all those hitting prospects came out of the gate hot, the other teams adjusted to them, and then the players never adjusted back. That's on the players and probably more specifically the MLB staff.

And 'fundamentals' wasn't the biggest issue with the prospects, the biggest issue is they couldn't hit the damn ball with any regularity. Even so, tell Tom Kelly, Ron Gardenhire and Paul Molitor that you don't improve fundamentals at the MLB level. Your education isn't done when you hit AAA.

[Unwinder]

Managers are the scapegoats when the team is bad, and they tend to leave in some degree of disgrace when the team struggles. Not sure I want to tack that onto Cruz or Hunter's legacy.

[PatPfund]

I reject this is an unattractive position; if a candidate is told Lopez and Ryan are starting the year here (which fits the budget), anyone worth hiring should be able to compete for a division title given our division. Given this team's malaise, and the likely need to fire people up, a long-time Rocco staffer like Conger won't likely move the dial on the "change" needed to sell tickets. But...

I mostly want somebody who will drill some defensive skill into this team, and provide leadership (both supportive and tough) to get them to actually play like a team instead of a bag of spare parts. Then you can have clubhouse leaders support the manager instead of having to do the hard part of the job as Cruz and Correa had to.

[nicksaviking]

15 minutes ago, Greglw3 said:

Joe Maddon would be the best on field tactician and run a game by far better than Rocco. Must add hitting but Madden is in a small group of 3 living managers who would instantly solve the myriad quirky ways Baldelli managed games including his lineups. Terry Francona (not available), Jim Leyland (too old??) and Joe Maddon. For me, he way he managed the Rays was flat out intimidating as his opponent. Excellence to the core.

Joe Maddon would be a cool add. 

But while he's a big name and would add some excitement, the people who hated Baldelli's in game moves would quickly realize Maddon's are just as upsetting to 'old school' fans. Relievers as openers, pulling pitchers before the third time through the order, defensive shifts, not aggressively stealing bases; these are Maddon staples, hell he may have invented half of them. And obviously it's where Baldelli drew his inspiration.

I'm not one of those people though, I doubt Joe Maddon is un-retiring for the low amount the Twins will offer, but I'd be interested.

[FlyingFinn]

I think the managerial hire will signal the direction of the offseason. If we are keeping Lopez, Ryan and Ober, I think an experienced manager outside the organization would be hired. If we are going to get rid of some of those guys and then Buxton wants out as well, it will be the best low-cost, probably internal hire.

[Woof Bronzer]

It SHOULD be someone outside the organization with proven success as a manager who balances old school fundamentals and accountability with analytics tools, who is trusted to hired his own staff and given the freedom to do the job as he sees fit.

It WILL be someone who has never managed before and will therefore be very cheap, who is young enough not to have any equity built up to credibly push his own philosophy, who is hungry enough for one of the 30 MLB jobs on the planet that he'll defer to Falvey on everything. 

[Woof Bronzer]

16 minutes ago, Greglw3 said:

Joe Maddon would be the best on field tactician and run a game by far better than Rocco. Must add hitting but Madden is in a small group of 3 living managers who would instantly solve the myriad quirky ways Baldelli managed games including his lineups. Terry Francona (not available), Jim Leyland (too old??) and Joe Maddon. For me, he way he managed the Rays was flat out intimidating as his opponent. Excellence to the core.

Falvey would never ever hire an "old school guy" and especially not one who has actually won things in this league.  Derek wants a guy who will unquestioningly go along with whatever extreme analytic strategy pops into his head on any given day.  Maddon wrote a whole book questioning GMs who do this.  Falvey would never consider hiring him.

[jjswol]

Get serious here, put out some real names here, look outside the organization. Start with Don Mattingly.

[LewFordLives]

1 hour ago, mike8791 said:

  Who better than TK? 

He's already had a stroke. As much as we all want to see him back in the dugout, you can never go home. Or as Rick Pitino would say, Tom Kelly is not walking through that door.

[jmlease1]

8 minutes ago, jjswol said:

Get serious here, put out some real names here, look outside the organization. Start with Don Mattingly.

A 64 year old dude whose most notable accomplishment as a manager was how much more the Dodgers won after he left, and who hasn't managed in 3 seasons? Pass.

[Chembry]

What about Scott Servais who managed the Mariners from 2016-2024?  He has experience with rebuilding teams.  After the 2018 season, Seattle unloaded Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz.  At the 2019 deadline, Seatlle dealt 3 more pitchers and finished 2019 with 68 wins.  They were rebuilding.  He used 2020 as a development year and had Seattle back to a 90 win team by 2021. He now works for the Padres in Player Development.  Plus he is a local guy (La Crosse, WI).

[JBK]

I've always thought Torii Hunter would be a great candidate for manager. Nelson Cruz could be hitting coach and Paul Molitor as base running/infield/bench coach.

You don't need TWO hitting coaches.  

[Woof Bronzer]

42 minutes ago, DuluthRoots said:

5% of Twin's success next year, at most, will be a consequence of the manager. 95% will be a consequence of the payroll/personnel decisions. So hire whom you will, and focus on signing the best players (I wish).

Well...5% of 162 games is 8 games.  Since just about every team wins between 60-100, and the difference between say 80 and 88 wins is likely a playoff birth, 5% matters!  Especially for a mid sized market team like the Twins.  They can't afford to give away games due to bad managing just like they can't afford to give away games due to bad defense or poor fundamentals.  Little things matter a ton in MLB.  

[Nshore]

Nelson Cruz is an interesting option -  assuming he's interested in managing.  Unless there's a baseball miracle, the 2026 Twins are going to lose - a lot.  Cruz has the calm demeanor and leadership qualities to handle it.

[Sjoski]

1 hour ago, jmlease1 said:

TK hasn't managed in decades, he's 75, and his health isn't the greatest. Crazy idea.

Hmm...in today's world I would almost like to see TK managing remotely.

 

TK in a rocking chair, iPad in hand, might actually bring more common sense to the dugout. At least you’d know he wouldn’t burn through six relievers before the 7th inning stretch.  😀

[CRF]

As much as I liked Torii and Cruz as players, you can't bring one of those guys in to manage this team. Talk about being a puppet for Falvey, either of those two would assure it. Zero experience would be as bad as Rocco was when he first came on board. I don't know who it's going to end up being, but my choice would be this dude! He's well liked and respected, he's always smiling, has nice fur, and he must have absorbed SOMETHING about baseball over the many years he's roamed the stands. He's got my vote!

[nicksaviking]

35 minutes ago, Woof Bronzer said:

Falvey would never ever hire an "old school guy" and especially not one who has actually won things in this league.  Derek wants a guy who will unquestioningly go along with whatever extreme analytic strategy pops into his head on any given day.  Maddon wrote a whole book questioning GMs who do this.  Falvey would never consider hiring him.

This is nonsense. Do you even remember who Baldelli's mentor was? It was JOE MADDON. 

I want Favley replaced, but this Falvey is the devil and is terrible at everything and is selfish and doesn't want the Twins to win and kicked a dog and took candy from a baby hysteria is getting old.

[nicksaviking]

13 minutes ago, Nshore said:

Nelson Cruz is an interesting option -  assuming he's interested in managing.  Unless there's a baseball miracle, the 2026 Twins are going to lose - a lot.  Cruz has the calm demeanor and leadership qualities to handle it.

I don't think about Nelson Cruz and think of 'fundamentally sound' baseball. Which is something I'm repeatedly seeing as a requirement from most of these posts.

[Craig Arko]

Mike Redmond. Naked manager pressers. 

[jmlease1]

1 minute ago, nicksaviking said:

I don't think about Nelson Cruz and think of 'fundamentally sound' baseball. Which is something I'm repeatedly seeing as a requirement from most of these posts.

There's also this disconnect on the "fundamentals" aspect where it sure seems like a lot of people around here think that the manager will spend large amounts of their time outside of games doing individual & team drill work with players on fielding (both infield & outfield), baserunning, and bunting.

How many teams and managers allocate their time this way? And it sure seems like no matter what the next guys says about "fundamentals" people here won't be satisfied unless they a) see the manager hitting fungos early and often, and 2) get to witness the manager chewing someone out for screwing up on the bases or something...

[SteveLV]

Maddon or Bochy.

I want someone with experience.

I want someone who has the reputation and fortitude to stand up to the FO when it is warranted.

I want someone who KNOWS HOW TO MANAGE AND WIN.

Regarding Mauer and Morneau, they are nice guys, but they have ZERO experience.  From listening to Morneau, his intellect does not manifest itself, and both of them seem to have way too passive a personality to do this job.

Coaches have to coach.  That means finding any and all means to communicate and motivate highly paid professional athletes (Ok, on the Twins, fairly well-paid athletes).  That means that some players are treated with a soft approach, and others need their cajones busted.

We tried the Newbie route with Baldelli.  I would greatly prefer someone with experience this time.

[SteveLV]

Regarding "chewing out", it might take that with some players.  With others, you just bench them to get their attention.  But there have to be consequences, or nothing will change.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

3 hours ago, terrydactyls said:

Are there any relatives of Falvey or the Pohlads who would like to be a manager?  Nepotism is the most current trend in real life, so why not in baseball? 😃

The current trend seems to be to hire a tv personality. I suggest Audra Martin.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

39 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

There's also this disconnect on the "fundamentals" aspect where it sure seems like a lot of people around here think that the manager will spend large amounts of their time outside of games doing individual & team drill work with players on fielding (both infield & outfield), baserunning, and bunting.

How many teams and managers allocate their time this way? And it sure seems like no matter what the next guys says about "fundamentals" people here won't be satisfied unless they a) see the manager hitting fungos early and often, and 2) get to witness the manager chewing someone out for screwing up on the bases or something...

I always thought Tom Kelly allocated his time working with the players. 

[TheLeviathan]

2 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

I'm not looking to promote from within, but blaming the minor league managers for not transitioning the prospects to the majors doesn't track. The prospects played well under them, the MLB coaches were the ones who clearly didn't help the players adjust at the MLB level.

I get this to some extent, but if your organization is banking on your MLB level manager to teach basic fundamentals.....

What the hell were the minor league coaches actually doing?

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Bill Belichick may be available. 

[TheLeviathan]

Put me down for looking at these three names:

Rick Sweet

Eric Wedge

Brandon Dinkelman

[cheeseheadgophfan]

The Milwaukee Brewers spend less money than the Twins....they develop young players like no other team and play them through struggles.  The run and play defense.  They have been consistent winners even after losing Counsel.

Doesn't Rickie Weeks make sense???  Clearly the #2 guy on Murphy's staff.