Minnesota Twins: How Safe is Terry Ryan?

Following yet another series loss (including a 15-4 drubbing at the hands of the Boston Red Sox on Saturday), the Minnesota Twins may have finally hit a season low.

We can’t really sugarcoat it, the team looks absolutely lost right now, having been outscored 33-8 in their last three games, the Minnesota Twins just can’t get a break from their pitching while the offense continues to struggle.

With high expectations entering the season after an 83-win campaign in 2015, the Twins were a popular pick to take the next step forward but as it stands they are sitting at an American League-worst 18-43 through Sunday.

But after an offseason that saw Terry Ryan and the team settle with what they had and make only a few moves to improve, the organization came under much scrutiny.

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The best move the team had made thus far was the signing of reliever Fernando Abad who is 1-0 with a 0.87 ERA heading into Sunday.

The only other major move for the Minnesota Twins was to sign Byung-ho Park, who has smacked 11 home runs but is still struggling to adjust to major league pitching with a .212 average.

To be fair, the problems the team has faced this season span multiple areas but the team has gotten practically nothing from the pitching.

This could be the ultimate undoing for Ryan after he chose to stand by what the team had.

Heading into Sunday, the team ranks last in the majors in starter ERA with a mark of 5.63 and just eight combined wins.

The bullpen has been almost as bad with an ERA of 4.61, while going 8-for-17 in save opportunities.

Barring any real drastic changes in performance, the rest of the season is looking like it will be a long one for the Minnesota Twins and their fans.

So that brings up the question of how safe Ryan’s job will be following this season. Owner Jim Pohlad said he still had confidence in the longtime general manager but that could just be a PR move.

For a long time, the general sentiment was Ryan was a terrific scout and was responsible for trades that brought the likes of Eric Milton, Cristian Guzman, Joe Nathan and Johan Santana.

But now, he finds himself in a position where it may be too late to save his job since the Twins are now well out of the race for a playoff spot and one or two trades won’t save the season.

Yes, some of the blame should be placed on the shoulders of manager Paul Molitor, the coaching staff and the players, but Molitor can only do so much with the talent he’s given.

And with a bullpen full of holes and a starting staff without a true ace, Molitor’s job was not made any easier.

But perhaps this will be a good thing for the Minnesota Twins. If Ryan were to leave, a new voice to lead the front office might be just what they need.

With a young core of players on offense, the Twins probably won’t be looking to make too many changes but the pitching staff could use an absolute overhaul.

Maybe the next GM will be able to make those changes and be able to draw some free agents that could help the teams make the next big step toward contention.

Or at least that’s the hope.

Next: Where is the 2015 Draft Class?

If Ryan leaves, the hiring of the team’s next GM may be perhaps the biggest and most important signing the Minnesota Twins have made in years.