The Minnesota Twins were the biggest sellers leading up to the 2025 MLB trade deadline. They cleaned house, offloading several talented veterans ahead of the cutoff point to strike a deal on July 31 at 6 p.m. ET. However, the front office's decision to do so reportedly isn't sitting well with the players who haven't been rerouted.
Sending three-time All-Star Carlos Correa back to the Houston Astros appeared to be the breaking point within the organization. Dan Hayes of The Athletic cited an unnamed member of the Twins saying that "no one wants to stay" in Minnesota now. The slew of moves signals a complete rebuild, which is one thing, but the public discontent is another. The overt frustration is an indictment of the entire clubhouse, yet perhaps it reflects poorly on no one more than the team's manager, Rocco Baldelli
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Twins' Carlos Correa trade could cost Rocco Baldelli his job
Minnesota has just two players under contract for next season, as Matthew Taylor of Twins Daily points out. All-Star outfielder Byron Buxton and right-hander Pablo López are the last ones standing from a core that snapped a 21-year playoff series win drought in 2023. It's a harsh reality with plenty of blame to go around. Yet, as the skipper, Baldelli naturally figures to be the fall guy.
Fair or not, Baldelli may be able to survive the foul stench that is the current vibes in Minnesota. When the cheese goes bad, there's no restoring it to life. The Twins have tailed off tremendously after a blistering May propelled them to 34-27 and are suddenly six games below .500 at the deadline. Life comes at you quick in the Majors, and no one's safe, not even the 2019 American League Manager of the Year.
Baldelli has gone 508-470 (and counting, for now) across six-plus campaigns since the Twins hired him in 2018, guiding the team to three postseason berths. He's overcome frugal ownership to bring Minnesota back to relevance, though his time with the franchise might be running its course. Correa's return to Houston is ostensibly the straw that broke the camel's back.
Soon enough, Buxton, a Twins lifer, will end up recreating the scene of Will Smith standing in an empty room in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.