Veteran American League Manager Fired After Epic Collapse

The Minnesota Twins announced Monday that they have fired manager Rocco Baldelli.

The seventh-year manager was fired after overseeing a 70-92 season that vastly underperformed expectations in Minneapolis. One day after the regular season ended, Twins executive Derek Falvey announced in a statement that Baldelli would be held accountable with his job.

“This game is ultimately measured by results, and over the past two seasons we did not reach the goals we set,” Falvey said in a statement. “After discussions with ownership, we determined that this is the right moment for a change in voice and direction.”

The Twins went 82-80 in 2024, and were 87-75 in 2023. That October, the Twins swept the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card round — their first postseason round victory since 2002.

The Twins did not merely take a step backward in 2025. They went from 34-27 on June 4 to 40-45 on July 1, putting them out of playoff contention and forcing ownership into a massive fire sale at the deadline.

Baldelli is the second manager to lose his job Monday, following the dismissal of San Francisco Giants skipper Bob Melvin.

More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports.