Twins Hire Former Rays Legend Rocco Baldelli As Manager

The Minnesota Twins have found Paul Molitor's replacement as manager.

The Minnesota Twins have named former MLB outfielder Rocco Baldelli as the team's next manager, the team announced.

He replaces Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, who was fired earlier this month after four seasons with the team.

Twins finished second in the AL Central in 2018 with a 78–84 record and finished 13 games behind the Cleveland Indians. 

Minnesota reached the playoffs once during Molitor's tenure, losing the American League Wild Card to the New York Yankees in 2017.

The 37–year–old Baldelli, who reportedly also interviewed for the Blue Jays and Rangers jobs, the spent the 2018 season with the Tampa Bay Rays as the Major League Field Coordinator. He was the team's first base coach the previous three seasons.

Baldelli spent eight years in the majors, mostly with the Rays. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2003 and was forced to retire at age 29 in 2010 because of mitochondrial channelopathy, a fatigue-causing disease.