6 Candidates to Be the Next Manager of the Minnesota Twins

[rv78]

New Manager requirements:

1.Take the turd we have and make it a shiny turd.

2.Manage the team the way the FO wants it managed while accomplishing requirement #1.

3.Do your job for the least amount of money we are willing to pay you.

I seriously don't see any former Manager with a lot of major league experience wanting to take this position. It will be someone who has little to no experience wanting to get their feet into the Managerial ring and make a name for themselves, aka Baldelli. I can see Torii jumping at the chance if it is given to him.

 

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, USAFChief said:

Overnight? No.

Over time? Yes, that's one of his major responsibilities.

Nice strawman though.

OldNurse couldn’t more right. Not just you, but the seeming majority here think that the Manager of a club is supposed to individually instruct each player on basic skills. That’s not real…….wasn’t real for Connie Mack - not real for Ralph Houck - not real for Mike Schildt. Managers set a tone - they suggest a path for their coaches to take with players & yes, are ultimately responsible. Managers emphasize things to the group & position coaches, instructors, & players are responsible for individual improvement………do we think Justin Morneau was looking to Ron Gardenhire for help in the batting cage?

I quit playing baseball at age 13 but knew how to go to second base on my base hit if the OF threw behind me or missed the cut-off, by the age of 10. I knew how to bunt……,proper form, what not to do, etc. These baseball skills are not high level thought!!!

There are many players now that haven’t had basics jammed down their throat like I did in early 70’s - different world. Many uber talented players get by on talent and their lack of basic knowledge/competence isn’t exposed and hasn’t mattered much in their “development years”. 

Bottom line is guys have played baseball for 12-17 years before getting to MLB. Their Manager, at this level, shouldn’t be expected to individually teach guys how to play……. what is being done/taught in high school - Legion Ball - travel teams & 2-4 years of Minor Leagues???? I’m not suggesting zero input nor communication individually but there isn’t going to be instruction going on between Managers & their players. Mental help/direction/support/criticism, as needed, and leading by example are Manager’s role.

[slick83]

Is Joe Girardi available?

[USAFChief]

18 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

OldNurse couldn’t more right. Not just you, but the seeming majority here think that the Manager of a club is supposed to individually instruct each player on basic skills. 

I think managers are supposed to find ways to get their teams to play the game well.

Not hit. Not throw a curveball.

Play the game. Know how, and then do it.

Literally one of his primary tasks. 

At any level, in any team endeavor, inside or outside sports, leadership gets the level of execution it allows.

If hitting the cutoff man doesnt matter to the manager, it won't matter to the people performing the task. 

I dont know how many times this needs to be explained. I'm not asking Rocco Baldelli to teach Royce Lewis to keep his back foot in place in the box.

I'm asking Rocco Baldelli to demand his team play the game of baseball properly and find ways to ensure that happens. Cutoffs are hit and proper bases thrown to. Bases are run with intelligence and aggression. Throws are backed up. Opponents running games are controlled. On and on and on.

The exact things that Baldelli led teams routinely and often did at a level below their opponents. 

It took till this year, ferpetesakes, for Baldelli to make BP mandatory. They STILL didn't regularly take infield.

None of which addresses his many other weaknesses. 

Long overdue firing.

Let's hope the Next Guy has a better understanding of how to get more from his personnel, rather than less. 

 

 

[tony&rodney]

23 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

Falvey is the problem. I have no reason to believe anything will change in any meaningful way until he's gone.

I'm uncomfortable saying such negative comments but I agree with this completely.

23 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

The strategies deployed, the development plans used, and the rosters built all come down to Falvey.

This is what I have been saying for several years. The Twins have no future success coming their way unless one of two things occurs: Falvey is replaced or the front office ideologies change dramatically. Change can happen. I hope it does. 

The pillorying of individuals (like Falvey) is tiring though and I need to bow out of the practice. I'll just wish the organization good luck. They need a winning lottery ticket.

[saviking]

If they want to win favor from the fans they should pick Toby. 

[David Maro]

Can't fix broken with Falvey still there. He will bring in someone who will be the same same. This organization needs a clean sweep of the FO to get back to baseball. They have done ok with the pitching pipeline,but position players are put in positions to fail. As for the poor defense how can anyone get better when you come to play and find out you are playing a different position. It has been said defense starts up the middle. To start the year things looked ok there but changed fast. At 2nd base everyday was someone new. I imagine Correa was at wits end with here we go again Lee today gone tomorrow. You want fans to come back and care about the team Falvey has to go.

[thelanges5]

Competition will be fierce. How does the Twins job rank amongst these openings?

Angels
Braves
Giants
Nationals
Orioles
Rangers
Rockies
Twins

[JBK]

22 hours ago, mickster said:

disagree on that.   Torii Hunter would generate more fan applause

Joe wasn't all that popular in his final years.  

[Chembry]

11 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I DON'T want the Twins to suddenly turn in to a "small ball" team. I still want them to focus on power. Power always plays. On the team now, or debuting sometime in 2026...more than likely...Buxton, Wallner, Lewis, Jeffers, Jenkins, Rodriguez, and possibly Gonzalez all have 20+ HR capabilities. Keaschall, Culpepper, and Lee all have double digit HR power.

But there's also a mix of HIT ability mixed in there as well, and more speed than we've had in some time. And speed can produce some SB, as well as the ability to take an extra base. It can also assist defensively.

So I want a manager who will assemble a solid staff thst will work on defense and the fundamentals. You have coaches on your staff to work with players, not just have a title. And without repetition, sometimes players csn grow lax.

With no offense intended to anyone, I don't want a 70yo manager who's near the end of his career. I want someone young enough to embrace the game as it's played today, and has the ability to connect with his players. Some of the guys I'm interested in have already been mentioned.

SKIP SCHUMAKER would be a great hire, but he's probably got his pick of jobs.

What about 43yo RICKIE WEEKS JR from the very well run Brewers? He was in the player development office 2022, and moved to bench coach in 2023.

CRAIG ALBERNAZ, 42yo, from the Guardians, who came up through the Rays system initially. SANDY ALOMAR JR, 59yo, is very well respected but has only had a shot at managing one time, for a couple weeks, at the end of the 2012 season as an interim. Still not sure why he's never received a shot at the main job.

Possibly 39yo RYAN FLAHERTY from the Cubs, who is their current bench coach, and has served in that capacity for the Padres from 2022-23.

All of these guys provide something a bit different in regard to playing and coaching experience, and are currently bench coaches for successful teams. All might be good fits as someone who fits the knowledge and experience and relative youth idea and might be ready to skipper a team.

But I do really like the idea of 50yo GEORGE LOMBARD from Detroit, as presented by Tom Froeming. He's been in the game as a player and coach since he was 18yo! And he's still young enough to connect with today's players, have good energy, and the ability to embrace the concepts and analytical side and today's game.

That's some of the options that I think fit the Twins: experienced, solid resume, young or relatively young, and all working for currently successful teams with solid managers running said teams. 

 

Agree, any of those choices would be good.  I will also add Scott Servais to your list and I would put him right behind Skip Schumacher in terms of desirability.  He isn't young (58), but has experience in a very similar situation with the Mariners.  He managed the Mariners from 2016-2024 and now works in player development for the Padres.

After the 2018 season, the Mariners traded away Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz, and others...they went into rebuilding mode.  At the 2019 deadline, they traded away 3 more pitchers and finally finishing 2019 with 68 wins.  He used 2020 as a development year and had the Mariners back to a 90 win team by 2021.  He is a local guy (La Crosse) who meets all criteria you laid out except being relatively young, but I don't see 58 as being old per say.

[DuluthRoots]

On 9/30/2025 at 10:07 AM, Woof Bronzer said:

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.  

I see your point,  But I submit:  Chicago White Sox.  We are closer to them than to the other Central teams.

[Woof Bronzer]

6 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

OldNurse couldn’t more right. Not just you, but the seeming majority here think that the Manager of a club is supposed to individually instruct each player on basic skills. That’s not real…….wasn’t real for Connie Mack - not real for Ralph Houck - not real for Mike Schildt. Managers set a tone - they suggest a path for their coaches to take with players & yes, are ultimately responsible. Managers emphasize things to the group & position coaches, instructors, & players are responsible for individual improvement………do we think Justin Morneau was looking to Ron Gardenhire for help in the batting cage?

.

Let's ask it a different way.  If a player demonstrates he is not adequately performing a particular skill or fundamental, whose responsibility is it to step in and help fix it?  Does the manager play any role in this?

If the answer is a position coach, ok, let's say the position coach works with the player and improvement still isn't coming.  What next?  Does the manager play any role in this?  

[David Maro]

Who as a veteran manager would want to manager this team at this point. They will want to see where things stand with the roster. Looking at this roster they see one catcher no 1st baseman,questions at 2nd and who's playing the corner outfield. Then they look at SP rotation,who is staying and how about the BP doesn't look good at this point.

At this time they have a better chance with the Braves,Giants.Angels,Orioles just to name a few.

[nicksaviking]

Reports are that Albert Pujols is the leading candidate for Arte Moreno and the Angels managerial job.

So as I'll always vote to do the opposite of Arte Moreno, I'm saying no to the Hunter/Morneau/Cruz options. It's clearly a bad idea if the Angels are doing it.

[purplesoldier4u]

I vote for Cruz, but maybe Wes Johnson or James Rowson? Maybe one the hot NCAA coaches/managers?

[DannySD]

About two weeks ago I had a vision that Torii was going to be the next manager. I should probably put some money on that...

[Old Crow]

On 9/30/2025 at 9:03 AM, mike8791 said:

No way should a former Twins player or current coach be named.  And forget a Gardenhire.  Toby has underperformed at AAA with developing players and winning teams, with the added obstacle of the acorn not dropping far from the tree adage(look at Ron's record in playoffs).

This team needs a strong, independent voice, one who Falvey/Pohlad could not control and one who brings fan enthusiasm back.  Who better than TK?  An outside proven manager(Schumacher, Hinch, Vogt) would be possible, except for their availability and the cost to bring them in.  Assuming he's still up for the job at 75, Kelly checks all the boxes needed in a new manager.  Yes, this would be a longshot but who else could bring the leadership, insistence on fundamentals and independence to quash poor advice from Falvey, et. al.?

I heartily agree a younger version of TK is what is needed. Have they started cloning mgrs. yet?