Twins fire Molitor, eye new manager to ‘grow a young team’
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Two years ago, the Minnesota Twins made Derek Falvey their chief baseball officer with the precondition that Paul Molitor remain as manager.
Molitor presided over a playoff team and won the American League Manager of the Year award in 2017, but the Twins slipped backward this season. Last week, Falvey and general manager Thad Levine decided the time was right to hire their own manager.
Citing pursuit of more productive development by their younger players, Falvey and Levine fired Molitor on Tuesday while offering him an opportu- nity to remain with the organization in an undefined position in baseball operations.
“This wasn’t about our record this year. This is about what we think is best as we continue to grow a young team in the direction toward being a championship contender,” Falvey said.
Falvey and other club executives expressed confidence that Molitor would stay with the Twins beyond the 20 years he has already worked for them in various roles, including the final three seasons of his Hall of Fame playing career.
“I fully respect that decision,” Molitor said in a statement distributed by the team. “I will forever be grateful for the opportunity they gave me to serve in the role as manager for these past four years. I’m going to consider their genuine offer to serve in a different capacity to positively impact the Twins from a different role.”
The Twins went 305343 under the 62-yearold Molitor, with one appearance in the playoffs in 2017. They were 78-84 this year, long out of postseason contention after a series of early setbacks to several key players.
Falvey and Levine, in a news conference at Target Field to announce the change, didn’t articulate specific reasons for firing Molitor or desired qualities they’re seeking with his replacement. The 20-minute session with reporters was largely filled with praise of Molitor’s acumen and attitude, including a willingness to employ data-driven, new-age strategy like defensive shifts and starting a game with a relief pitcher.
With a backdrop of the struggles this year by center fielder Byron Buxton and third baseman Miguel Sano, the players long targeted as franchise cornerstones, the Twins have a need for new approaches and voices for their prospects that stretches beyond the main man in the dugout, however. Soon after Molitor was dismissed from his post, the Twins announced the firing of seven minor-league coaches and two strength and conditioning coaches from the major league staff.
“In conversation with Paul last year at that time, we did look at what the future could look like if he wasn’t managing,” Falvey said. “It’s never the right time to make a difficult decision, and it’s never easy. You have to weigh all the factors that we learned about this team this year, where we are and what need to do moving forward. We felt like now was the time to have that conversation with Paul.”
After the Twins went 85-77 and reached the wild-card game last season, Molitor was given a new three-year contract.