Minnesota Twins: why the Twins fired hometown hero Paul Molitor as manager

For the Minnesota Twins, the firing of Paul Molitor took many by surprise. However, it signals a shift in philosophy for a young Twins’ team.

Paul Molitor won Manager of the Year honors after guiding the Minnesota Twins, to their first postseason appearance after a seven-year absence. The Twins was the MLB team Molitor grew up rooting for as a kid living in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Fast forward to a year later, Molitor is out of work.

The Twins stunned the baseball world when it was announced that they would move on from Molitor in the wake of a disappointing 78-84 record. A four-year stint, which included a wildcard spot in 2017 comes to an abrupt end.

News that the Twins fired Molitor came hours before the National League wildcard game. It is barely a year removed from when the 62-year-old had the Twins in a similar position.

Injuries and a few lengthy losing streaks led to the Twins’ downward spiral. Despite the under .500 record, the majority of the people on the outside of the Twins’ organization expected Molitor to return.

Changing the voice inside the locker room is what led the Twins to terminate Molitor’s contract. The reason behind the stunning decision was confirmed by Twins’ general manager Thad Levine.

"“It was about where our club is for the present and the future. This wasn’t about our record this year,” said Falvey, the Twins’ chief baseball officer, in an afternoon news conference at Target Field. “We just feel a change in voice and potential style with some of these younger players could be of benefit to us.”"

The majority of the Twins’ young players regressed from last season. Players such as Max Kepler and Miguel Sano failed to live up to their expectations. Both are only 25-years-old, therefore it is not too late for either them to experience growth.

Molitor may have had trouble reaching and relating to his players. If so, that was cause for his departure from the Twins. The Minnesota-native was lauded by the organization, however, a new school approach was deemed necessary for the Twins to go forward in the development of their young players.

Whoever the Twins hire next must be able to reach their players and help them reach their potential. As of now, it seems as if Molitor took the Twins as far as he could as a manager. That is why the Twins thought it was time to fire him.