Baldelli, who worked alongside Friedman during their years with the Rays, arrives in Los Angeles after a six-season run managing Minnesota, a tenure highlighted by multiple division titles and a Manager of the Year award.
The Dodgers are set to add a notable new voice to their baseball operations group, bringing in former Twins manager Rocco Baldelli as a special assistant to President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman. The news was first reported by Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune.
For Friedman, the hire reunites him with a familiar figure. The two first crossed paths during their long tenures with the Tampa Bay Rays. Baldelli spent nearly his entire playing career in Tampa Bay after being drafted in 2000, eventually retiring as a Ray in 2011 following a brief stop with the Red Sox. Soon after hanging up his spikes, he moved directly into various coaching and development roles within the Rays’ organization—years that overlapped with Friedman’s run as the club’s general manager from 2004 through 2014.
Baldelli made the jump from coaching to managing ahead of the 2019 season, when the Twins hired him to lead their major league staff. His early results couldn’t have been better. Minnesota won 101 games during his rookie season as manager, capturing the AL Central title and earning Baldelli American League Manager of the Year honors. The Twins repeated as division champs in the shortened 2020 campaign before regressing in 2021 and 2022. A rebound season followed in 2023, when Minnesota again topped the Central.
The last two years, however, were far bumpier. The Twins spent much of 2024 in playoff position before a wave of injuries triggered a late-season slump, ultimately dropping them to 82–80 and out of the race. In 2025, the club hovered around contention into mid-season but faded badly in the summer months. Minnesota’s front office responded by pivoting into a deadline sell-off, and the team limped to a 70–92 finish. Baldelli was dismissed once the season ended.
How much responsibility he bears for the team’s struggles is a matter of debate, particularly given the organization’s financial pullbacks and roster inconsistencies. Baldelli has publicly expressed interest in managing again, and he was briefly linked to openings with both the Angels and Nationals before those clubs went in other directions.
For now, Baldelli will step into a new role with the defending champions, giving the Dodgers another experienced baseball mind as they look to sustain their run of success.