After getting fired by the Twins at the end of the season, Rocco Baldelli didn’t have to wait long for more opportunities to come his way. Baldelli told Dan Hayes of The Athletic that as many as 10 teams reached out after he was let go by Minnesota. The former manager didn’t specify the roles, but it’s clear there’s interest around the league in hiring him. While he might not jump back into coaching right away, Baldelli said he’d be open to returning to a managerial role. “If (the situation) matches, I’ll do it again someday. I’d love to be able to do it again. But I owe my family a little time.”
Baldelli took over as Minnesota’s skipper in 2019. He was the youngest manager in the league when he was hired. He led the club to immediate success, winning 101 games in his first season. It was a 23-win improvement on the previous season and the first time the Twins had won 100+ games since 1965. Minnesota won the AL Central for the first time since 2010, though they were swept in the ALDS by the Yankees. The standout 2019 campaign earned Baldelli AL Manager of the Year honors.
Minnesota won the AL Central again in the shortened 2020 season, but was bounced in the Wild Card round by Houston. The club struggled in 2021 and 2022, finishing well below .500. Baldelli got the team back on track in 2023, leading them back to the postseason. The skipper would earn his first playoff series victory that year, sweeping Toronto in the Wild Card round. The Twins would then be dispatched by the Astros in the ALDS.
The Twins finished with a winning record in 2024, but fell short of a playoff bid. This past season was the worst in Baldelli’s tenure. The club managed just 70 wins, finishing fourth in the AL Central for the second straight season. The disappointing result ultimately cost Baldelli his job.
After his playing days ended following the 2010 season, Baldelli signed on with the Rays as a Special Assistant to Baseball Operations. He worked in the front office until 2015, when he became Tampa Bay’s first base coach. After three seasons manning the first base box, Baldelli spent a year as the team’s Major League Field Coordinator.
With the Padres now in the market for a new manager, we could have as many as eight teams looking to fill the role. Skip Schumaker landed the Rangers’ gig, but the Giants, Angels, and Braves all have vacancies, in addition to Baldelli’s former spot in Minnesota. The Nationals, Orioles, and Rockies closed the 2025 season with interim managers, and none have stated whether the fill-ins will return. Baldelli’s name will likely be floated for all of those gigs. Even if he doesn’t get a head job, he plans to work for a team in some capacity for 2026. “It’s possible I may not manage this year, but I fully expect to stay active.“
He could manage a Wendy’s drive thru i am certain
You’re trying to insult the man but our government is closed because none of them can manage a Wendy’s drive through.
That’s more accurate than it should be
Complimented the man by saying he COULD manage a Wendy’s drive thru. Meantime you’re on your way to insulting the proud women and men in this great country who keep our drive thrus humming. Apologies to Wendy are in order
No apologies will be given. Wendy’s sucks.
Any drive through, except Culver’s, sucks.
Ranger – their Frosties are still good.
Portillos drive thru rocks. Old timey hats and smocks and their peeps go out among the huddled masses with their scanners to impose order. Like playing in traffic as a kid- good times!
Idk man, the drive thru at my local liquor store is pretty decent. Just sayin..
CULVERS MENTION
Just for those wondering he’s only 44. No duh he doesn’t want to retire yet
To be fair to Rocco, 70 wins looks terrible on paper and got him ultimately fired, but when you trade half an MLB roster in 72 hours, the organization wasn’t making his job any easier. Sure he’ll find another opportunity to manage, likely during the 2026 season, or the 26-27 offseason.
It is not like the team was performing well before the sell-off though. The bigger issue for me would be the collapse of the 2024 Twins. Both the 2024 and 2025 clubs had decent teams, on paper, and should have been strong contenders for the AL Central championship but underperformed.
With as many manager positions open right now I’d be shocked if he doesn’t land one.
I wonder if Rocco is one of the six that have reportedly reached out to the Padres? That has to be the best opening.
I would lean towards Baltimore being the job most would want. The San Diego farm system is a wasteland now.
San Diego is a solid playoff quality team and will be for next 2-3 years and the ownership has shown a willingness to spend. Neither are the case in Baltimore.
On paper they have a good team. It doesn’t work out the way you expect most of the time. Injuries and underperformance are a part of the game. You must have depth and unfortunately the Padres have none.
Don’t take it personally because I’d love to see them dethrone the Dodgers in the NL west and make a deep run. I just don’t see it happening. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised to see AJ tear it down to rebuild the farm. He’s done it before.
The Padres look set to compete in the next 5-6 years. If you’re going by Leo De Vries hype, you may wanna remind yourself that a lot of trades on day 1 have people try to cope by saying the team that gave away the most value somehow sneakily won the trade.
I’m not concerned with the names that are gone. It’s what is left for depth that concerns me. You can’t get through a season without bringing people up to give you meaningful innings. Even the Dodgers call upon their depth to help them get to October.
Leo De Cap has lived up to the hype, just one at bat after another
@Ranger: “In fact I wouldn’t be surprised to see AJ tear it down to rebuild the farm.”
Considering that they just won 90 games and have a ton of long-term money locked into Machado, Tatis, Bogaerts, Merrill, Darvish, Musgrove, Pivetta, and Cronenworth, I would be extremely surprised to see AJ tear it down.
They’re good just not Dodger good. The middle child like Jan, whining “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia”
I would rather live in San Diego.
Padres will be good for the next few years if MLB has a season after next year. The CBA ends December 1,2026. There is a good chance of a lockout.
San Diego among the best, tho Bawlmawr has its um, waterfront too
That’s a lot of dead money potentially if the Friars dont take the next step from perpetual bridesmaid to champion like that blondie chic who was a rising star of that grey atom hospital jam then bounced at the top of her fame whatshername Heigel and is now doing cat litter ads. Anyhoo lot of peep kinda rooting for em to take the final step
They’re all wasted!
I’m not sure about Baltimore ownership. Something isn’t right up in the offices.
I’d gladly take him with the Braves. He did well with the twins given the cards he was dealt.
Rye Rye Rocco!
Do the families of players and coaching staff live in the cities that they are in? I am assuming they don’t. If that’s so, why is it like that? If a player has signed a five year contract, he should know where he will be for a few years.
It depends on their family situation and the ages of their kids. Even when at the home city, you’re not working traditional hours. You don’t want to always uproot school-aged kids and have to create new community/local relationships. It’s hard on spouses and kids.
Well, I don’t see him ever being an all time great manager, but a lot of great managers have done far worse at their first stops than him. In a world where teams are actually interviewing Pujols, certainly Baldelli with three division championships and a Manager of the Year Award deserves a second shot.
I’d love to see him coaching again someday, but I understand the desire to spend time with family, especially since his kids are so young.
He’s had enough success to warrant another managing shot when he’s ready. At 44, he has a couple decades to manage.
But as a dad of younger kids, you can only have these years once. And later in life they’ll know they were the priority. It matters.
He will be highly sought after and can pick from several teams to manage. Just pick whoever has the best roster moving forward and wherever suits your lifestyle best.
For me, Baldelli feels like a fit in Baltimore.
“Eh, I’m Rocco Baldelli , is this a no show job yous is talk’n abouts heres? Nobody says no to Rocco Baldelli pal!”