Rocco Baldelli was an easy scapegoat, but Twins' mess is hardly his fault

When professional sports teams fall short of expectations for long enough, the easiest thing to do is find a scapegoat. A fall guy. Someone for owners to fire as a way to show fans that they're taking their jobs seriously and aren't OK with failure.

Most frequently, that person ends up being the head coach or manager. Sometimes it's a GM or an assistant coach, but the head coach is the primary front-facing member of the organization's leadership structure. As a result, they're typically the one who pays the price.

On a related note, the Twins fired manager Rocco Baldelli on Monday after seven seasons in that role. One day after a miserable 70-92 season ended, marking the fourth time in five years the Twins had missed the playoffs, Baldelli was let go. He's the scapegoat for the franchise's recent underachievement.

"This game is ultimately measured by results, and over the past two seasons we did not reach the goals we set," said team president Derek Falvey in the club's release. "I take personal responsibility for that. After discussions with ownership, we determined that this is the right moment for a change in voice and direction. This decision is not a reflection of Rocco's effort or leadership. It reflects where we are as an organization and the belief that a different voice is needed to help us move forward."

"After ongoing internal discussions, we believe this is the right time for a change in leadership of our Major League team," said executive chair Joe Pohlad, the current representative of the Pohlad family's ownership group. "These decisions are never easy, particularly given the respect we have for Rocco. He led with professionalism and care for both his players and our organization, and we are grateful for the way Rocco represented the Twins."

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Things are bleak for the Twins right now. They've not only missed the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, they also had their lowest single-season attendance since 2000 this year. Following a wretched season that saw the fan base becoming increasingly apathetic after the team's unprecedented pre-trade-deadline fire sale, attendance figures to only decrease further in 2026.

It should come as no surprise that Baldelli is the one who took the fall for the Twins' failings. Again, it's the easiest move to make. It's also not likely to make a meaningful difference toward the team's future unless it comes in conjunction with other changes. Baldelli is hardly near the top of the list of parties who deserve the most blame for the Twins' current mess.

To be clear, firing Baldelli is not unjustified as a way to switch things up and bring in a new voice in the clubhouse. It's an understandable move to make. However, a new manager is not going to singlehandedly drag the Twins out of the hole they've dug for themselves. Their problems go way above Baldelli's head.

Know what would make more of a difference on the Twins' future outlook? The only place to start is with the Pohlads spending money. Ownership infamously slashed the team's payroll by roughly $30 million after the 2023 playoff run, which unquestionably played a role in a late-season collapse in 2024 and in the ugly 2025 campaign that just ended. That payroll dwindled further when the Twins traded away 10 players before the deadline, including a pure salary dump of Carlos Correa's contract.

If the Pohlads are serious about trying to win baseball games, they'll invest substantial resources into bringing the payroll back up to 2023 levels or higher. In a cap-less sport like baseball, there is a clear, demonstrated correlation between spending and success. Baldelli could've done some things differently, but those payroll cuts had a much more drastic impact on the Twins' recent decline than the person who sat in the manager's chair. He can't go out onto the field and hit or pitch or play defense.

The Star Tribune recently put out a couple stories — which can best be described as puff pieces — that included several notable quotes from the Pohlads. In one, Joe's brother Tom Pohlad said "don’t question (our) commitment to investing in the Twins." In another, Joe Pohlad said "we have the resources that we’re ready to invest when needed."

Until they back those words up with action, it's hard to feel optimistic about the Twins' future.

Another person who deserves more blame than Baldelli? Falvey. He's the one who — within ownership-imposed financial constraints — largely assembled the roster that has fallen short of the postseason four times in five years. Some of his trades and signings and extensions have panned out, but many of them have not. Letting Falvey go would've been a move with a chance to have a major impact. Instead, he was part of the group that decided to move on from Baldelli.

Bringing in a new manager may prove to be a good decision from the Twins. A new clubhouse leader might be what they need as they move forward into 2026 and prepare to welcome a wave of young talent to the big leagues, headlined by star prospect Walker Jenkins. After back-to-back disastrous seasons, no one — Baldelli included — can be surprised that this happened.

But if it's the only thing that changes, it's hard to envision the win-loss results looking all that different with the next manager at the helm.

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