Guardians fans should rejoice at Twins uninspiring choice for manager 

Take yourself back to the fall of 2023. While the Guardians had a season to forget in Terry Francona’s final season in Cleveland, the Minnesota Twins took home the American League Central crown before going on to beat the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card Series. It was Minnesota’s first postseason series win since 2002. 

It may also be their last one for a while. 

After bowing out to the Astros in the American League Division Series, the Twins won 82 games before winning just 70 in 2025, which ended up costing manager Rocco Baldelli his job. 

It took them less than a month to find his replacement, as news leaked out Wednesday that the team’s decision makers had decided to hire Derek Shelton to be their next manager. 

The Twins' managerial pick proves they won't be a factor in the American League Central any time soon

Shelton previously managed the Pittsburgh Pirates but was fired a month-and-a-half into the 2025 season after the Pirates started 12-26. He posted a record of 306-440 during his time at the helm of the Pirates. Shelton also served as the Twins bench coach in the 2018 and ‘19 seasons and is close with president Derek Falvey, which likely gave him a leg up in the running for the position. 

It’s not a hire that should scare Guardians fans. While Baldelli always seemed to be a bit overrated, he helped take the Twins to the postseason and seemed to be a strong motivator for his roster. Meanwhile, the Pirates never went anywhere with Shelton at the helm and actually took a step back after Paul Skenes made his debut in 2024. 

He’ll also have his work cut out for him with a Twins team that’s clearly getting worse. The Twins cut $26 million from their payroll at the trade deadline and ended up going 23-43 after the All-Star break. 

He’s also going to have to navigate a toxic situation with the fanbase, who are (justifiably) upset with the lack of spending from ownership. The Twins are projected to have a payroll of $95 million, though there’s a chance it could dip even lower.

While Guardians fans are no stranger to an ownership group that doesn’t spend, the front office has figured out a way to work around that thanks to their strong developmental pipelines and eye for nabbing talent on the margins. Meanwhile, the Twins roster is filled with unknown players or unremarkable veterans. 

After the 2023 season, the Twins looked like they were on a path to becoming the American League’s next big juggernaut. Instead they’ll enter 2026 as the fourth-best team in the American League Central while the team they beat in that series is a win away from winning the World Series.