The Minnesota Twins have fired manager Paul Molitor following a 2018 season in which he led his team to a 78-84 record.
Paul Molitor has been fired by the Minnesota Twins
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 2, 2018
This comes as somewhat of a surprising move considering the Twins haven’t exactly been loaded with talent in Molitor’s four years leading the club.
Last year’s 85-77 record was a huge surprise in a positive sense after the Twins went 59-103 in 2016, earning Molitor AL Manager of the Year honors and the team a playoff berth.
Yes Minnesota did take a slight step back this past season, but you’d have to point the finger more at Derek Falvey and Thad Levine than Molitor. After all, they are responsible for the personnel issues that plagued the Twins.
So, it sure looks like Molitor is the scapegoat here. Likely, he’ll land on his feet in short order. And it could be with the Twins, in a different capacity.
The #Twins have had "productive conversations'' with Molitor about transitioning to a different role in the organization, according to sources. So it appears he could be staying with the team in a different capacity. https://t.co/7hHUqvaxlO
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) October 2, 2018
This move also gives Falvey and Levine the freedom to choose a manager they believe in and want to work with going forward.