This browser does not support the Video element.
Twins president on Rocco Baldelli firing
Twins president Derek Falvey spoke with the media on Tuesday to address the team's decision to fire Rocco Baldelli as manager.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Twins on Monday fired Rocco Baldelli after seven seasons with the franchise.
The Twins went 70-92 this season and missed the American League Playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons. Baldelli led the Twins to three AL Central titles and the end of a playoff drought, but the management team felt it was time for a change after recent struggles.
After winning a playoff game and series in 2023 for the first time in two decades, the Twins cut $30 million from the payroll. They were in the playoff conversation for most of the 2024 season before a 12-27 free fall to miss the playoffs. This year, the team couldn't withstand injuries throughout the roster and were never seriously in the playoff picture.
Twins talk Rocco Baldelli firing
What they're saying:
Minnesota Twins President Derek Falvey and General Manager Jeremy Zoll spoke with reporters Tuesday from Target Field.
"Rocco was a tremendous partner who worked tirelessly every day to try and put this team in the best position to be successful. It mattered to him all the things that come with this job, it mattered to him to do it well," Falvey said. "We didn’t perform the way we wanted to over the last few years, that’s no secret. These are never easy decisions. It led to an organizational decision to make that change. When you don’t perform, this is no one individual. This isn’t about a Rocco failure, this is a collective group that we didn’t get to what we wanted to achieve. It’s first and foremost on me, we didn’t get there this year."
Twins’ brass met with Baldelli before the announcement Monday, and Falvey said he took it like a professional. Zoll called it a tough day for the organization.
"Really hard day yesterday. You work really hard to build relationships with the manager, with the staff. Whenever you have a day like yesterday, it’s definitely hard. It’s an unfortunate reality of pro sports and the situation we’re in," Zoll said.
‘I don’t have clear direction yet’
Why you should care:
Falvey was asked Monday if the Twins’ organization is in disarray. Last October, the team announced it was exploring a sale. The team on the field couldn’t stay healthy this season, several players underperformed and nearly half the roster got traded for the July 31 deadline.
The Pohlad family then went back on its decision to sell, saying they were pursuing investors to take care of more than $400 million in debt. When asked about the future of the franchise and what the identity of the team is, Falvey didn’t have an answer.
"I don’t have clear direction yet on where we’re headed going into this offseason. I hope to have those conversations over the next few weeks," Falvey said. "When I look at this group, I think there’s steps we need to take. Let’s see where things take us, but I feel like this is a group that has a lot of talent."
What's next:
The Twins’ front office and ownership group has the task of finding the next manager.