Former Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli is back in the managerial conversation, and this time the American League could come calling.
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, Baldelli has emerged as a candidate to take over as the Seattle Mariners’ next manager after Seattle fired Dan Wilson. The move came after the Mariners finished third in the AL West and missed the postseason.
Baldelli is one of several names in the mix, but his résumé in Minnesota gives the Mariners something to weigh carefully. When he took over the Twins in 2019, he posted a 527-505 record and guided the club to the playoffs three times. All three trips ended with ALDS exits, and those losses were decisive.
His run in Minnesota eventually ended after the Twins finished the 2025 season at 70-92, their worst mark since 2016. Baldelli’s dismissal came after the club’s disappointing finish, closing the book on a tenure that included both steady regular-season success and postseason frustration.
Now a special assistant with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Baldelli may have another shot at a dugout role after the Dodgers were eliminated from the playoffs. He has already said he wants to manage again, and this offseason could open the door for that to happen.
For the Twins, the focus has shifted elsewhere. The organization is trying to turn its young core into a winning group, with Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper debuting and players like Luke Keaschall and Kody Clemens part of the conversation. Minnesota finished third in the division when many expected it to be near the bottom, and the next step is getting back to the playoffs without Baldelli.
For now, though, the former Twins skipper is a name to watch in Seattle.
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