After over a month of searching, general manager Terry Ryan and the Minnesota Twins are expected to hire Paul Molitor as their new manager. Ron Gardenhire, who managed the team for the past 13 seasons, was fired on September 29.
According to Patrick Reusse of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities and the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Twins have finally chosen Molitor after conducting interviews with a number of other candidates, including finalists Class A manager Doug Mientkiewicz and Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo. Molitor, who spent 2014 on Gardenhire's staff, will be the team's third manager since 1986.
To clarify: Molitor deal being finalized. Monday is anticipated but not definite. Mientkiewicz out here; could wind up in Rochester.
— Patrick Reusse (@1500ESPN_Reusse) November 1, 2014
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities also confirmed the news on Twitter. Throughout the entire interviewing process, Wolfson provided updates and reports on the candidates that the Twins were considering. Those included Molitor, Mientkiewicz, Lovullo, Triple-A manager Gene Glynn, White Sox third base coach Joe McEwing, Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr., Blue Jays bench coach Demarlo Hale and Athletics bench coach Chip Hale.
Molitor, a Hall of Famer, was previously on the Twins' coaching staff back when Tom Kelly was manager. When Kelly left, Molitor was a candidate for the vacancy, but the team ultimately chose Gardenhire when Molitor withdrew his name from consideration because the team was being targeted for potential contraction. He served as the hitting coach for the Mariners in 2004, which was the last time he coached since joining the Twins this past season. He served as the Twins' Minor League baserunning and infield coordinator from 2005-2013.
Ryan and the Twins hope Molitor will be able to reverse their recent four-year playoff drought. Minnesota has had four 90-plus loss seasons in a row and haven't gotten past the first round of the playoffs since 2002 when they reached the ALCS.
UPDATE: The Twins will introduce Molitor as their new manager on Tuesday, according to Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
