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Report: Former MN Twins Manager in Running for Red Sox Job
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- Report: Former MN Twins Manager in Running for Red Sox Job
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After a promising stretch in early April, the Minnesota Twins have come back to reality the last few weeks, losing 13 of their last 17 games , to bring their regular season record entering Monday's off-day to 14-20.
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While some hope was flying around during the Twins' hot streak, this is the team most around baseball expected Minnesota to be when the Pohlads slashed payroll by another $30 million this offseason and refused to replenish a bullpen they tore to pieces at the 2025 MLB trade deadline.
Instead of fixing the talent problem on the field, the Minnesota Twins opted to fire manager Rocco Baldelli, and hired his old bench coach, Derek Shelton, to replace him.
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Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
While Rocco has had plenty of opportunities elsewhere, since parting ways with the Twins. Thus far, however, the 7-year manager has thus far opted for more time with his family while he collects paychecks from the Pohlads and waits patiently for the right job to present itself.
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come about when he walked out of Target Field for the last time found employment elsewhere. Instead he opted for family time and a front office role with the Los Angeles Dodgers . A better managerial opportunity may have now fallen into his lap.
Former MN Twins manager expected to get looks from Boston
The 14-20 Philadelphia Phillies (Rob Thomson) and 13-21 Boston Red Sox (Alex Cora) have already fired the managers they began the 2026 MLB season with, after both organizations failed to meet preseason expectations, out of the regular season gates.
Low and behold, writes Charley Walters (Pioneer Press) , the Red Sox — Boston is right next door to Baldelli's hometown of Woonsocket, RI — are expected to give Rocco "serious consideration" as the historic organization's next skipper.
Ex-Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, who is from Woonsocket, R.I., and now a special assistant for the Dodgers, will get serious consideration for the Boston Red Sox permanent job, made vacant by last week's firing of Alex Cora.
Alex Cora spent eight years with the Boston Red Sox (620-541), one more than Baldelli did the Minnesota Twins, with a similar success rate ( 527-505) . Rocco also earned Manager of the Year Honors in 2019, one year after Cora's Sox won the World Series (2018).
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It was assumed, while he was managing the Twins, that Baldelli operated largely from the spreadsheet dictated to him by Derek Falvey and the team's analytics department.
That's intriguing since it has become incredibly apparent that Boston's Chief Baseball Officer (and former Twins pitcher) Craig Breslow is the guy pulling strings for the Red Sox .
Why Rocco Baldelli might make sense for Red Sox
Baldelli spent seven years in the majors , as a player, before recurring injury issues and health concerns forced him out of the game. He played six of those seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays , but did play one summer (2009) in Boston.
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Cora played four seasons with the Red Sox but left the same offseason Baldelli arrived, so the two did not cross paths as players. If Boston is looking for a player-friendly coach who will carry whatever messaging needed from upper-management, then Baldelli would be a strong hire.
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His approval rate among MN Twins players was always high and he NEVER threw guys under the bus with media. While contact with Rocco Baldelli makes a lot of sense, it doesn't appear the Red Sox Boston are in any hurry to name a new manager and have yet put a timeline on their search process.
For now, 40-year-old Chad Tracy has assumed the interim tag . In three games at the helm since taking over, the team has gone an even 3-3. Tracy has no previous big league managerial experience.
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