Wes Johnson leaving the Minnesota Twins for the same job as pitching coach with the LSU Tigers caught the MLB team by surprise, a source confirmed to Bring Me The News on Monday.
Asked who the replacement pitching coach will be and if Johnson’s decision was unexpected, a team source texted: “TBD and yes, definitely.”
The Twins confirmed that Johnson is leaving, with president of baseball operations Derek Falvey complimenting Johnson’s four years in Minnesota and noting that his final game with the Twins will be Thursday.
“Wes Johnson has been an integral part of our organization over the last three and a half seasons and has helped guide our pitchers at the highest level,” Falvey said in a release. “His leadership, insight, creativity and ability to effectively work across a diverse team were hallmarks of his time with the Minnesota Twins. His influence and impact will continue to be realized in Minnesota through the pitchers and staff members he helped mentor. We wish him and his family all the best during his next stop at LSU.”
It’s unclear what prompted Johnson to move to college baseball rather than continue the season with the first place Twins. LSU is currently in its offseason and the SEC power has already secured the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation in 2022.
Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports that the Twins didn’t find out about Johnson’s talks with LSU until Saturday. Players didn’t learn about his pending departure until the team was on the plane bound for Cleveland Sunday night.
Wes Johnson is on the charter to Cleveland. #MNTwins found out yesterday about the talks with LSU. Doesn’t sound like it’s known what his status is for the rest of the season.
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) June 26, 2022
Hayes reports that Johnson will make $750,000 at LSU, which he says is a significant raise form his current contract with the Twins.
The Twins are expected to announce coaching staff updates in the coming days.
