DET 3, MIN 1: Lynn Overexposed, Offense Overmatched

I am all in on the rigidly and favorites assumptions, and have been since the beginning of his tenure. But I do disagree with the FO supplying him with who he wants. If that's the case I don't think we need a FO, simply a GM/coach figure. I have said this before, and will repeat. Good managers probably don't "win" ball games. But bad managers definitely lose them. While I know that premise is subjective, after 3 years it can also be obvious.

I agree with the FO take.  There are limits to how culpable the FO is on who Molitor plays.  I'm not suggesting that they just bend to everything Molitor wants by any stretch.  It's the managers job to use the pieces he is given.

In this particular case, I don't think it matters who the FO brings in to help.  Molitor won't use them anyway.  Judging by the number of players Molitor basically refuses to use though, it makes me wonder if they're not on the same page.

I agree with what you say about managers winning and losing games.  My feelings are that few managers make a large impact in either direction, most basically tread water with their decision making.  Their outcome neutral.  The really good managers may steal more games than average, and bad managers may lose games that should be won more often.  The rest are basically in the middle.  I too, feel that where Molitor lies in this discussion is pretty obvious.  Ultimately it's the players that decide games, but putting players in a position to succeed is on the manager.

Not sure if you think they are or are not on the same page. I know in previous years I definitely thought they were not. Especially regarding rookies. This year I find it harder to discern. Either way I doubt flexibility would be a Molitor trait.

In previous years, I agree that it was more obvious that they weren't on the same page for the reasons you stated.  I still don't think that they are, but I tend to agree that it's less obvious.  The glaring evidence is how Molitor uses the pieces he has, but I think that tells me what I need to know.