The Minnesota Twins announced Monday that manager Rocco Baldelli will not be returning next year following a disappointing season.

Baldelli spent seven seasons with the Twins, starting in October 2018.

"After ongoing internal discussions, we believe this is the right time for a change in leadership of our Major League team. These decisions are never easy, particularly given the respect we have for Rocco," Joe Pohlad, executive chair of the Twins, said. "He led with professionalism and care for both his players and our organization, and we are grateful for the way Rocco represented the Twins."  

The Twins say Baldelli will depart with the third-most wins in club history with a 527-505 record. He guided the team to three American League Central Division titles and received American League Manager of the Year honors in 2019.

Baldelli was hired before the 2019 season to replace Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, with Falvey citing his adaptivity to the data-based direction of baseball strategy and his communication skill in distilling it to coaches and players and clearly setting expectations and preferences.

Minnesota announced Baldelli's firing following a season marked by a major selloff leading up to the trade deadline after the team faltered in June and failed to mount any momentum in July. The Twins (70-92) went 19-35 after the deadline passed following the departure of 10 players off their major league roster, with only the Colorado Rockies faring worse over the final two months.

The Twins finished with the fourth-worst record in the major leagues and their worst mark since 2016, when they went 59-103 after firing longtime general manager Terry Ryan at midseason.

For the second straight year, uncertainty around Baldelli's status hovered around the club. The Twins, who went 87-75 in 2023 to win their third AL Central title under Baldelli and their first series in the playoffs in 21 years, were in firm control of a wild-card spot down the stretch last season before tumbling out of contention with a 12-27 record over the last six weeks to land at 82-80.

Factoring that finish into their extended funk this year, the Twins are 82-119 over their last 201 games for a .408 winning percentage. That includes a 13-game winning streak they produced earlier this season.

Attendance has swooned at Target Field, with the Twins finishing with an 81-home game total of a little more than 1.7 million tickets sold, their lowest number in a non-pandemic season since 2000 when they played at the Metrodome and finished 69-93. Fans have mostly directed their disdain toward ownership, with deep frustration over cost-cutting that came after the 2023 breakthrough. The Pohlad family put the franchise up for sale last year, but decided last month to keep control and bring on two new investment groups for an infusion of cash to help pay down debt.

The Twins will begin their search for Baldelli's replacement immediately.

Officials say the 2026 coaching staff will be determined by the new manager, along with Twins President Derek Falvey and Executive Vice President and General Manager Jeremy Zoll.