Over three weeks after the Minnesota Twins (somewhat) surprisingly fired long-term manager Rocco Baldelli, team decision-makers have begun formally interviewing candidates for the position. The following names head the club’s initial list of expected interviewees: Derek Shelton, James Rowson, Nick Punto, Vance Wilson, and Ramón Vázquez. Among the five aforementioned names, reputable sources have also floated former Twins players Torii Hunter, Kurt Suzuki, and Nelson Cruz as possible interview candidates. Of the eight total names listed, only two candidates (Wilson and Vázquez) have not been previously employed by Minnesota, signaling a concerning question: Are Twins decision-makers doing their due diligence in attempting to find Baldelli’s successor?
To preface, many of the names listed are desirable candidates. There’s nothing blatantly off-putting about Rowson, Punto, Hunter, or Cruz from a strategy or personality perspective. Suzuki and Shelton (for different reasons) are the only two truly undesirable names to be tied to the club so far. Yet, given that six of the eight names listed have ties to the Twins organization as former players or coaches, there is reason to believe those in charge of the managerial search aren’t casting a wide-enough net.
Now, it’s impossible to know if club decision-makers are trying to tap into nostalgia and are motivated to hire a manager whose name alone would elicit a positive reaction from the fanbase. Naturally, nobody in a position of power within the organization would admit that. Yet, given that a majority of the names publicly announced as managerial candidates have significant ties to the organization (and are embraced by the fanbase), there is reason to believe the club is placing greater emphasis on familiarity than merit, which would be a dire mistake.
MLB’s managerial talent pool is incredibly rich. Up-and-coming names like Cleveland Guardians associate manager Craig Albernaz, Detroit Tigers bench coach George Lombard, Chicago Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, and many others have been some of the hottest names during this hiring cycle. Minnesota’s managerial opening is one of the league’s most undesirable. That being the case, some of the league’s most highly-touted candidates may not be interested in interviewing for the position. However, given that major league clubs often hire new managers before November and the significant number of names tied to the Twins, there is reason to believe one of Shelton, Rowson, Punto, Wilson, Vázquez, or a recently retired former Twins player will be the club’s next manager.
Now, it’s impossible to know who is and isn’t going to be a successful major-league manager. Many factors outside of a manager’s control dictate their ability to succeed. Yet, the reason names like Albernaz, Lombard, Flaherty, and others are among the most appealing managerial candidates this hiring cycle is because they own a considerable number of the same traits (skilled preparators, strategists, communicators, etc.) and have been employed by the same franchises as many of the league’s most successful contemporary managers. These candidates have rightfully become the most sought-after names in baseball. Yet, Minnesota is neglecting to (openly) express interest in any of them besides Wilson and Vázquez.
Despite the Pohlad family still owning the team, Minnesota is entering a new era of baseball in various ways. Given the expected continuation of significant payroll limitations, Twins decision-makers will need to become more like fellow small-market teams like Milwaukee and Cleveland if they want to return to postseason relevancy in the near future. Milwaukee and Cleveland find success through having two of the savviest front offices and coaching staffs in the league working in unison with one another.
There is reason to believe Minnesota’s front office is savvy enough to mold a contender with limited spending resources. The club possesses one of the AL’s strongest starting rotations alongside a top-five farm system in baseball. Yet, if the club’s next manager is unable to work in unison with the front office or lacks the traits necessary to lift a team like Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt or Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy, Minnesota won’t be able to return to relevancy any time soon.
That being the case, team decision-makers must emphasize hiring a well-respected, external candidate with recent success with a different organization, like Vázquez or Wilson, over hiring someone because they used to be on Baldelli’s staff or were a Gardenhire era fan-favorite who could generate short-lived nostalgia points with a fanbase that becomes increasingly more frustrated.