The seat in Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli's clubhouse office gets hotter by the day as the team has wilted in the heat of the September stretch drive.
Heading into a crucial three-game series at the presumptive American League Central champion Cleveland Guardians on Monday, the Twins are just 6-8 in September, with the team going just 3-3 in a three-game homestand against the lowly Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds that concluded with a 9-2 victory on Sunday to save being swept by the Reds.
The red-hot Detroit Tigers and resurgent Seattle Mariners are breathing down Minnesota's neck, just 1.5 games behind the Twins for the third and final AL Wild Card spot as of the start of Monday's games. Baldelli's club looks to survive this week's road trip to Cleveland and Boston — with the Red Sox still just 4.5 games off the Twins' pace.
Three of Minnesota's final four opponents of the regular season are either basically assured of a playoff spot, or at least have fleeting postseason aspirations. Following this current road trip, the Twins close out the regular season at home against the National League-worst Miami Marlins before hosting the AL Wild Card-leading Baltimore Orioles.
5 managers Twins could hire if Rocco Baldelli gets fired after epic collapse
So, what happens if Minnesota — a team picked by most to win the American League Central this season — collapse entirely and miss the playoffs for the third time in Baldelli's six campaigns as manager? Could the Twins, a team that has had just four managers since winning the organization's first World Series in 1987, look to make a managerial switch?
The front office has so far been quite poker-faced in regards to Baldelli's future. But should it be decided at season's end that a change in manager is needed, here are some interesting possibilities for a future clubhouse leader.
Toby Gardenhire
Let's say the Twins decide that what is needed is another "Gardy." In that case, the team wouldn't have to look far. Toby Gardenhire, the son of former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, has managed the team's Triple-A team in St. Paul for the past four seasons.
Toby Gardenhire has had a relatively successful tenure as Saints manager since taking the helm of the Twins' top farm club in 2021. St. Paul went 61-59 in his first year, 74-75 in 2022, 84-64 in 2023, and 68-75 so far this season. Team records aren't exactly the best way to judge a minor league manager's success, as many of the team's best players are often called up to "The Show," which can throw a feeder club's roster into disarray.
However, the younger Gardenhire is considered a steady hand in the topsy-turvy world of minor-league baseball, and he has risen through the Twins coaching ranks after his playing career capped out in Triple-A in 2011. He has spent his entire career in the Minnesota organization, playing seven minor-league seasons and spending an equal amount of time as a coach or manager in the team's farm system.
Now 42 years old, Gardenhire is considered to get a shot at some point to manage in the major leagues. Should the Twins look in-house for a Baldelli replacement, he is almost certainly the name at the top of the list. However, would Gardenhire be the right choice for a team that is aligned to be in the playoff chase in 2025 no matter the outcome of this season? Or would he be better served taking over a rebuilding MLB club like the Miami Marlins or Chicago White Sox?