The Twins are on the hunt for a new manager after firing Rocco Baldelli. Derek Shelton, James Rowson, Torii Hunter and more have been mentioned in the media as potential Twins managerial candidates, but there are also some dark-horse names who could succeed Baldelli as the Twins skipper.
3 dark horse candidates for open Twins manager job
Drew Butera
Butera, who was a catcher for the Twins from 2010-13, was just let go by the Chicago White Sox after serving as the team's catching coach for the last two seasons. While the White Sox lost 102 games in 2025 and 121 games the year prior, Butera's influence on the team was likely limited, considering the nature of a catching coach's role.
The Guardians have experienced success in their short time with former Athletics catcher Steven Vogt leading the team, which may inspire the Twins to look for a former catcher who recently played in the majors to replace Baldelli. Butera's last season in the major leagues was 2021 with the Los Angeles Angels. He has limited coaching experience, but it's more experience than Vogt had when Cleveland hired him. As a player, Butera was primarily a backup catcher known for his leadership, a quality that front offices look for in a manager.
Nelson Cruz
Cruz doesn't have managerial experience, but he currently works for Major League Baseball as a special advisor for baseball operations. Additionally, Cruz will be the Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic (WBC) team's general manager in 2026 after having held the position in 2023.
When Cruz played for the Twins (2019-21), he was not only one of the best hitters in the league, but he was also known as a leader in the clubhouse. Cruz already has plenty of experience being in a clubhouse with younger players, as the designated hitter played Major League Baseball until he was 42 years old. If the Twins hire Cruz as their next manager, the Dominican Republic native would bring the leadership he provided the team during his playing days. He is bilingual as well, which is a bonus in a league that comprises of many Spanish-speaking players.
Aaron Boone
Boone is currently the manager of the New York Yankees, but his job may be in jeopardy as his team trails the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 in the American League Division Series. Boone has been the Yankees' manager since the 2018 season and has yet to lead New York, an organization that expects to compete for a World Series every year, to the ultimate goal.
If the Yankees do end up moving on from Boone, the Twins could try to scoop him up. Granted, managing the Twins may not be appealing to Boone, as the Yankees manager previously worked as an analyst for ESPN, and there are other managerial openings across the league as well. But if Boone is fired and expresses interest in becoming the next Twins skipper, Derek Falvey should consider hiring him. Boone has brought the Yankees to the postseason every year he has managed the team besides 2023, and nearly won last year's World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.