Head-scratching ways of Twins brass continue in midst of latest putrid performance

While fans have been wondering if Rocco Baldelli will be fired, Twins boss Derek Falvey reportedly picked up the option on the manager's contract for 2026.

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The Twins continued their run of horrendous baseball on Monday night with an 11-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners at Target Field. The loss was the Twins’ fourth in a row, their 14th in the past 17 games and dropped them to 6-15 this month. The Milwaukee Brewers and Mariners have outscored the Twins 46-16 in the first four games of a seven-game homestand that can’t end soon enough.

But this isn’t one bad month.

The Twins went 13-18 in April before putting together a 13-game winning streak en route to an 18-8 record in May that is looking more like a fluke with each day. The Twins’ ineptitude — they are 37-41, 11.5 games back in the AL Central and 3.5 games back in the wild card race — have left many wondering if anything will be done.

On Monday night, an unexpected answer was provided.

Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported the Twins have picked up the option on manager Rocco Baldelli’s contract for 2026. That’s right: Not only is Baldelli not on a well-deserved hot seat, he now has been assured his contract will be honored for next season.

Make it make sense.

The Twins appear to be doing everything they can to alienate their fan base — or at least what remains of it. Those who have checked out can’t be blamed. The Twins’ issues date to the middle of last August and a 12-27 collapse that dropped them from a playoff spot to 10.5 games out of first place in the AL Central. Add in the first three months of this season and the Twins are 49-68 (.419) in their past 117 games.

Derek Falvey, the Twins’ president of baseball and business operations, appears content to pretend the sky isn’t falling and that success is right around the corner.

What do Falvey’s bosses think? Considering owner Joe Pohlad rewarded Falvey with complete control of the organization after team president Dave St. Peter moved into an advisor role in the spring, it appears Falvey can do whatever he wants and that includes doubling down on Baldelli’s employment.

Even if this isn’t all Baldelli’s fault — there’s a case to be made that we should be discussing Falvey’s employment — the lack of accountability at Target Field is mind-boggling.

The one saving grace would be if there was any evidence the Pohlads exploration of a sale of the franchise was progressing. But there isn’t. Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported in late May that nearly eight months after the Pohlads announced they would explore selling, it was looking as if the family would retain ownership or sell at a price lower than initially anticipated.

A couple of days later, reports surfaced the Twins were making progress in finding potential buyers. This clear attempt to contradict Walters’ report has been followed by crickets on any potential buyers.

This is good news for Falvey and his front office because anyone paying $1.5 billion to $1.7 billion for this team would be unlikely to embrace the amount of angst being directed at this franchise and settle for the status quo.

Falvey did meet with the beat reporters who cover the team on Monday night and was asked about potential trades before the July 31 trade deadline. The Twins have some assets and would be wise to move them.

But Falvey is hoping starter Pablo Lopez can return from a strain in his right shoulder to pitch in the second half. That also means hoping Lopez avoids any setbacks or struggles caused by a long layoff. Falvey is also hoping third baseman Royce Lewis can come back from his latest hamstring ailment and not go into the type of slump he did upon his return from an injury to the same hamstring earlier this season.

And who said hope is not a strategy?

“(Selling in trades is) not my focus right now by any means,” Falvey said. “… If we have to cross that bridge, we’ll cross that bridge later, but that is not at all our focus right now. It’s to figure out how to get this team right back to where it needs to be. I think a good week of baseball will get us there and hopefully we can kick that off tonight.”

That came shortly before Bailey Ober gave up seven of the 11 runs the Mariners scored. As that was happening, news of Baldelli being assured of another season broke. It was the latest sign that those in charge at Target Field don’t grasp the depth of their problems.

Or, if they do, they aren’t interested in taking any steps to make the necessary fixes.