Rocco Baldelli Heads West to Join Dodgers Front Office

[Cody Christie]

Rocco Baldelli’s time in Minnesota officially came following the 2025 season, but his next chapter has already begun. After a difficult 92 loss season led to his dismissal, the former Twins manager is joining the Los Angeles Dodgers front office according to reporting from the Star Tribune’s Bobby Nightengale. The move brings Baldelli into the heart of baseball’s most dominant organization and reunites him with a familiar face.

The Twins chose to move on from Baldelli after missing the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. It was a decision driven more by frustration than by a clear indictment of his abilities. Baldelli was never the sole reason the team stumbled through 2025, and he certainly was not the source of the deep flaws that defined the club’s roster and performance. Instead he became the public face of accountability when those above him would not accept their share of the responsibility.

Even so it was never expected that Baldelli would remain unemployed for long. The real question was whether he wanted to jump back into the grind immediately. His answer came sooner than many anticipated. The Dodgers have brought him aboard in a front office role, a path he knows well from earlier in his career.

Before he ever filled out a lineup card Baldelli worked in the Tampa Bay Rays system after a mitochondrial disorder ended his playing career in 2010. He joined Andrew Friedman’s baseball operations group as a special assistant and quickly earned a reputation as a thoughtful evaluator with a strong grasp of player development. That experience helped launch his coaching and managerial trajectory, and now he returns to work alongside Friedman for an organization with unmatched resources and championship expectations.

Baldelli’s tenure in Minnesota ends with a 527-505 record across seven seasons, including three American League Central titles and the drought breaking playoff series win in 2023. He captured the American League Manager of the Year award in 2019 and helped guide several young players into key roles. With one year left on his contract the Twins dismissed him after their 70-92 finish, setting off broad changes across the staff. Many of his former coaches quickly landed on their feet in new roles around the league, a sign of how well respected that group had become.

While Baldelli is stepping out of the dugout for now, a front office role does not signal the end of his managerial aspirations. Minnesota even considered a similar transition with Scott Servais earlier this winter. If anything this move may serve as a launching pad. The Dodgers operate with a level of infrastructure and financial backing that could not be more different from what Baldelli experienced with the Twins. Working under Friedman again and within an ownership group that pushes relentlessly for championships may give him an even broader skill set.

For Baldelli this is a chance to reset and reemerge. For the Dodgers it is another savvy addition to a front office that rarely misses.

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[ashbury]

Before the firing I wondered whether the Twins would eventually offer Rocco a job in the front office rather than completely cut ties.  I still wonder if they did, but this news fits in with my perception that he's a better fit for an administrative/analytics type of position.

[ziggy]

Good news for Rocco. I'm happy for him and his family. He seems to be a very nice man and deserves to have a job where he is not the scapegoat for other peoples decisions. I'd guess the on field issues were 10% his fault and the rest roster construction and Falvey's organizational blueprint.

[jctwins]

In the modern era there's little reason to think this is an "on site" position. How nice to get paid by the Twins and lock in with the gold standard of clubs, while having what could be little to no travel. 

 

Kinda makes me wonder what orgs in general look like behind the scenes, and how much is work from home types.

[CRF]

He's probably better suited for a front office type job. Didn't care for him as a manager, but best of luck to him. 

[Linus]

The Dodgers obviously don’t read Twins Daily. 

[Blyleven2011]

I thought I was done reading any article about Rocco Baldelli  ...

But I'm ready to slam him some more ...

The article is bulls**t , Rocco was not a major league manager and he never developed any prospects at the major league level  ...

Nobody took responsibility on this team , it was everyone that was incompetent , FO down to manager and coaches , the owners too in right sizing their payroll  ...

Now that baldelli is hired by the dodgers  , I predict he will jinx  dodger blue and they will not 3 peat in the world series even with the newly signed Diaz as their closer ...

You heard it here first sports fans 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Best wishes and good luck Rocco. Thanks for the memories. 

[nicksaviking]

19 minutes ago, Blyleven2011 said:

I thought I was done reading any article about Rocco Baldelli  ...

But I'm ready to slam him some more ...

The article is bulls**t , Rocco was not a major league manager and he never developed any prospects at the major league level  ...

Nobody took responsibility on this team , it was everyone that was incompetent , FO down to manager and coaches , the owners too in right sizing their payroll  ...

Now that baldelli is hired by the dodgers  , I predict he will jinx  dodger blue and they will not 3 peat in the world series even with the newly signed Diaz as their closer ...

You heard it here first sports fans 

It's OK to let it go.

It's also OK to like the man but not like the job he's done. 

[Blyleven2011]

8 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

It's OK to let it go.

It's also OK to like the man but not like the job he's done. 

Without naming names , I just can't like anyone that can't give you straight answers and goes the long way around the barn and tells you nothing but a bunch of lies  ...

[USAFChief]

Gonna miss those Minnesota winters, Rocco.

[tony&rodney]

Baldelli never seemed like he made his own decisions. Naturally, I have nothing to base that on except for the style of play we witnessed from mid August to the end of the year which was in direct contrast to all previous play. The Dodgers are an exceptionally well run organization and  bringing Rocco aboard says plenty. 

I like Shelton and will be curious to see how the Twins play in April.

[arby58]

8 hours ago, ziggy said:

Good news for Rocco. I'm happy for him and his family. He seems to be a very nice man and deserves to have a job where he is not the scapegoat for other peoples decisions. I'd guess the on field issues were 10% his fault and the rest roster construction and Falvey's organizational blueprint.

I'm also happy for him, and agree the end result was not nearly primarily his fault. That said, where do the players 'fault' lie in lack of performance? I'd say the general decline in performance in 2025 was as much due to the players as anything, and they should be held accountable.  Maybe 10% Baldelli, 45% front office (including ownership) and 45% players. 

[Woof Bronzer]

This feels like a better fit for him.  He seems like a good guy in a world increasingly short on good guys.  Wish him well.  

[the_brute_squad]

Maybe the former manager can bring in Falvey style front office thinking and we can watch the Dodgers come down to earth.

[Rigby]

A conspiracist might think this was a hire to improve the Dodgers chances to land their primary offseason target.....

[spanman2]

Great gig if you can get it and he got it...

[rv78]

I predict he will succeed in LA. It takes money to cover up mistakes and the Dodgers have enough to cover up Rocco's boo-boos. 

[Twodogs]

On 12/9/2025 at 10:26 AM, ashbury said:

Before the firing I wondered whether the Twins would eventually offer Rocco a job in the front office rather than completely cut ties.  I still wonder if they did, but this news fits in with my perception that he's a better fit for an administrative/analytics type of position.

Probably knew more than Falvey does, might be why he is gone.

[Twodogs]

20 hours ago, arby58 said:

I'm also happy for him, and agree the end result was not nearly primarily his fault. That said, where do the players 'fault' lie in lack of performance? I'd say the general decline in performance in 2025 was as much due to the players as anything, and they should be held accountable.  Maybe 10% Baldelli, 45% front office (including ownership) and 45% players. 

Who made the roster of these players?  

[arby58]

1 hour ago, Twodogs said:

Who made the roster of these players?  

You think there were better options in AAA? They called a bunch of them up, and didn't get stellar performance from them either. Nearly every Twin hitter (with the exception of Buxton and Martin) regressed in 2025. Players are responsible for the playing aspect of the game. It's been said by far smarter baseball people than you or me that managers get too much credit when a team wins, and too much blame when it loses.

[Twodogs]

1 hour ago, arby58 said:

You think there were better options in AAA? They called a bunch of them up, and didn't get stellar performance from them either. Nearly every Twin hitter (with the exception of Buxton and Martin) regressed in 2025. Players are responsible for the playing aspect of the game. It's been said by far smarter baseball people than you or me that managers get too much credit when a team wins, and too much blame when it loses.

Yeah, I wasn't placing any blame on the manager.  I was placing the blame right where Falvey never places blame.  On himself.  He assembled the roster that Baldelli had to manage and then probably told Baldelli how to manage it to some extent.  But a year ago Falvey fired some of Baldelli's coaches and then gave him an extension and then got rid of Baldelli who was probably getting tired of being blamed for the dumpster fire that Falvey produced.  I'd love to just once hear Falvey say.  "I screwed up, I am to blame for this roster and I am going to do my best to fix it and get a winning product back out on the field."  But instead he walks and talks like he is smarter than everyone else and he will sign some more under paid constantly injured former prospects and say see, I fixed it, we are way better now.

[JADBP]

Sorry to say, GOOD BYE AND GOOD RIDDANCE.  

I don’t see LAD forcing Ohtani to play all over the infield or subbing him out in the 4th inning when an LHP enters the game.  When they do, then I will know that Rocco is actually having an influence on the team.  

Otherwise, this is probably just a mercy hire—his best buddy is a top guy there.  

[Dave Borton]

Reason 22 to root against Dodgers.

[knothole61]

Rocco was a victim, I think, of some of his faulty concepts and a genuine inflexibility regarding them. I will not miss him as a manager, but I wish him well.

It's 7 below out tonight, but only about 60 days until pitchers and catchers report, so we've got that going for us!