The search for a new manager to replace Paul Molitor has begun and the Minnesota Twins have already interviewed internal candidates.
“We are certainly reaching out to some people who we have vetted and have targeted,” Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey said Tuesday.
“We also have heard from a number of different people across the game who have interest in this position. I’m not terribly surprised by that. As we’ve said all along we feel this is a job that stacks up there with any in baseball in terms of candidates who want to be here. This is a supportive ownership group, a good environment, an opportunity to impact some young players and a growing team.”
According to Twins beat write Rhett Bollinger, internal candidates include:
- bench coach Derek Shelton
- assistant coach Jeff Pickler
- Triple-A manager Joel Skinner
External candidates linked to the Twins, per Bollinger, include:
- Indians bench coach Brad Mills
- Indians minor league defensive coach John McDonald
- Indians first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr.
- Rangers assistant coach Jayce Tingler
- Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde
- Astros bench coach Joe Espada
What’s with all of the Indians coaches? Falvey came to Minnesota from Cleveland, so he’s obviously well connected and informed about their coaching staff.
The Twins are in search of a new-school manager with a knack for analytics.
“We’re looking for someone who is truly open-minded,” Falvey said. “We’re looking for a leader. Someone who will partner with us. Someone who is looking to move this organization forward, not just the 25-man roster.”
“We have every expectation,” he added, “early conversations that we’ve had with internal and external candidates, that we are going to find that person here who’s of high character and a work ethic that we believe a championship-caliber organization puts together.”
Darren Wolfson of KSTP and 1500 ESPN adds that the Twins are also looking into Rays field coordinator Rocco Baldelli and Brewers bench coach Pat Murphy.
Two names the #MNTwins are doing due-diligence on regarding their managerial opening that haven't been tossed out yet: Rays field coordinater Rocco Baldelli and Brewers bench coach Pat Murphy.
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) October 9, 2018
Six other MLB teams are in search of a new manager, so the competition for the best options is steep.
