It has been an offseason of change for the Minnesota Twins. Derek Falvey axed Rocco Baldelli after a 70-92 record, and Derek Shelton was recently named his replacement. There has been an exodus from the previous coaching staff, and LaTroy Hawkins is set to join the group.

While there will be some familiar faces joining the division with the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota’s longest-tenured employee is headed elsewhere. Tommy Watkins with the Minnesota Twins is no more.

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Tommy Watkins heading to Atlanta Braves

The Minnesota Twins drafted Tommy Watkins in the 38th round of the 1998 Major League Baseball amateur draft. He made his big league debut in 2007, and remained on the farm through 2009. He then joined the coaching staff and has most recently been the third base coach at the highest level. That will change.

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After 26 years in the Twins organization, a place that has given him paychecks since he was 18 years old, Watkins will seek employment elsewhere. Brian Snitker retired as manager of the Atlanta Braves after this season. The team named Walt Weiss his replacement.

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What role Watkins will play on Walt Weiss’ coaching staff remains to be seen. Watkins is 45 years old while Weiss is nearing 62. He will bring a different perspective to the franchise, and Watkins can look to advance his career in a different organization.

Shelton may need to replace both of his base coaches if it is announced that Ramon Borrego won’t return. It has been suggested that the team would like managerial runner-up, James Rowson, to be the bench coach.

Consistency at pitching coach for MN Twins

While there has been turnover at multiple spots on the coach staff, the pitching coach will not be among them. Pete Maki, who took over for Wes Johnson mid-season in 2022, is going to return.

Despite Baldelli being made the fall guy for a roster Falvey assembled, Maki is not being held responsible for a pitching staff that has underperformed. Since Maki taking over, the Twins have ranked 18th of 30 teams in ERA. They were 25th last year, and 21st the year before.

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Falvey’s calling card in Cleveland was the ability to develop a pitching pipeline. While he has found arms that over-perform on their way to the big leagues, Maki has done little to continue that growth once they hit that mark.

This offseason, especially in the bullpen, is critical for the Minnesota Twins to retool their roster. The team begins Spring Training action on February 20, 2026.

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