Josh Donaldson is back at it again with Minnesota.
The former Twins third baseman, never one to soften his opinions about his time in Minneapolis, aimed another public jab at the organization this week - this time zeroing in on how Rocco Baldelli handled the bullpen.
“One of the worst years I had in professional baseball when I was with the Twins one year when we didn't make the playoffs, my second year, I remember we were struggling winning games, and then we would finally get a lead going into the eighth inning and then we'd bring some guy out of the bullpen, like he just got there today," Donaldson said. "I don't even know the guy's name yet, and here he is trying to win us a game because analytics say that he's a lefty and it's left-on-left, and I watched him throw two pitches and I go 'this game is over.'"
That critique came on the “ Get It Done League ” podcast, where Donaldson has already made his feelings clear about his Twins tenure. About two months ago, he said, “it just didn’t seem like they had a culture to win or care to win."
The conversation around that comment is still very much alive. The podcast post highlighted the analytics debate and asked, “Which side are you on? 👀”
The numbers around Minnesota’s relief work under Baldelli are mixed. During Baldelli’s run as manager, Twins relievers ranked 13th in ERA at 4.14, eighth in FIP, 11th in strikeout rate at 24.4%, and third in walk rate at 8.6%.
Donaldson’s own two seasons in Minnesota, from 2020-21, came with a bullpen that ranked 15th in ERA at 4.18, 14th in FIP at 4.24, 13th in strikeout rate at 24.7%, and fourth in walk rate.
The roughest year by those measures was 2021, the same season Donaldson called his worst in professional baseball. That Twins bullpen finished 20th in ERA at 4.39, 21st in FIP at 4.38, 16th in strikeout rate at 23.8%, and 10th in walk rate at 9.3%.
Donaldson still put up a strong season at the plate that year, hitting .247/.352/.475 with 3.4 fWAR, 26 home runs and 72 RBI in 135 games.
Minnesota signed him to a four-year, $92 million deal before the 2020 season. In the shortened 2020 campaign, he hit .222/.373/.469 with six home runs and 11 RBI in 28 games.
His time with the Twins ended after the 2021 season, when Minnesota traded Donaldson, infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa and catcher Ben Rortvedt to the Yankees for catcher Gary Sanchez and infielder Gio Urshela. Donaldson was later released by New York during the 2023 season, finished that year with the Milwaukee Brewers, and announced his retirement in March 2024 after 13 big-league seasons. The resume, of course, includes an AL MVP award, three All-Star selections and two Silver Slugger honors.
In Other News...
Twins Just Sent A Clear Message With This Pitching Staff Move
The Twins have begun reshaping their pitching infrastructure with a pair of staff moves, turning to Brian Reith as their new pitching coach and promoting Ben Myers to assistant athletic trainer. Reith arrives after spending the past five seasons with the Triple-A Durham Bulls in the Rays organization, and Minnesota is clearly looking for fresh perspective on the mound after Pete Makis departure.
Reiths background is the part that stands out most here. He comes from a system known for developing pitchers and stressing efficiency, and his Durham staffs were especially strong at limiting walks while turning in top-tier run prevention. For a Twins team that has been searching for more stability on the pitching side, the hire suggests a deliberate bet on structure and development rather than a quick fix. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face A Ryan Jeffers Decision That Could Get Uncomfortable
Ryan Jeffers future is one of the more delicate decisions facing the Twins this offseason after Minnesota held onto him at the deadline and now has to navigate what comes next. The catcher is set to reach free agency, and the Twins are weighing whether to try to keep a player who has become a familiar part of their roster while also knowing they have catching prospects moving through the system.
The market may not make the choice simple. The Yankees have been linked to Jeffers, but they also have reasons to be cautious about signing him, which leaves open the possibility that he could either take a short-term path back to Minnesota or look for a longer deal elsewhere. Even with the Twins internal options, this is the kind of decision that can get uncomfortable fast because it asks the club to balance immediate stability against the desire to keep building for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face A Tough Winter Call On Yasser Mercedes
Yasser Mercedes spent 2026 giving the Twins a reminder of why his name still carries real intrigue in the system. The 21-year-old outfielder showed a rare blend of power and speed while moving between Single-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids, the kind of tool package that keeps an organization interested even when the development path is still clearly unfinished.
Now Minnesota is staring at one of those winter roster decisions that can shape the back end of a farm system. Mercedes is heading toward Rule 5 draft eligibility after five professional seasons, and the Twins have to weigh whether a spot on the 40-man roster is worth using to keep him in the fold or whether the risk of exposing him is part of the cost of a crowded roster. The upside is obvious, but so is the challenge of finding room for a player who still needs more time against advanced pitching. [Read more 🡒]