Last year, the Seattle Mariners were eight outs away from winning the American League Pennant. George Springer of the Toronto Blue Jays kept that from happening.
GEORGE SPRINGER
— MLB (@MLB) October 21, 2025
THREE-RUN SHOT
BLUE JAYS LEAD 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Qh7qwqYpRx
Despite last year's disappointment, the Mariners appeared to be one of the top World Series contenders in the American League entering the season. Unfortunately for Seattle, the club had a rough season, missing the postseason after finishing 76-86. In response, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto fired manager Dan Wilson.
The Mariners are expected to hire an experienced manager, according to the Seattle Times' Adam Jude.
“There’s not a single candidate in baseball that wouldn’t be excited to take over this job, this ballpark, this city, the talent on that roster,” Dipoto said.
Jude listed several experienced names to watch for the Mariners' managerial opening. One is former Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, now a special assistant with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Other names Jude listed are Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, Rays senior advisor Brandon Hyde and Dodgers first base coach Chris Woodward. Additionally, Seattle has discussed Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, per Jude.
If the Mariners hire Baldelli, it would reinforce the narrative that Minnesota simply made him the fall guy when they fired him last offseason, as it would prove the league still views him as manager material. The Twins decided not to bring Baldelli back after they failed to make the postseason in the back-to-back years following their first playoff series victory in 21 years.
Sometimes MLB organizations just need a leadership change. Baldelli's firing wasn't the Twins' only major change last offseason, as president Derek Falvey parted ways with the Twins, and Tom Pohlad succeeded his younger brother, Joe, as controlling owner.
Rocco Baldelli doesn't deserve most of blame for Twins' disappointing 2024, 2025 seasons
Baldelli experienced plenty of success in his time as the Twins' skipper. Minnesota won more than 100 games and set the home run record in 2019, Baldelli's first season as the club's manager. The Twins made the postseason in 2020. After disappointing 2021 and 2022 seasons, Minnesota defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2023 Wild Card Series.
Then it all went downhill. With Baldelli leading the clubhouse, the Twins missed the postseason in 2024 despite having a 95%+ (FanGraphs) chance to reach it in September. Then, following a poor start to the 2025 season, the Twins traded nearly 40% of their active roster at the trade deadline. After the 2025 season, the Twins announced they fired Baldelli.
The Twins didn't necessarily make a bad decision letting Baldelli go, but the skipper wasn't to blame for Minnesota's failure to make the playoffs in 2024 and 2025.
The Twins slashed payroll by $30 million after 2023. The team didn't make any big offseason moves before the 2025 season, either. If Minnesota hadn't cut spending, Baldelli might still be the team's manager.
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