Twins fire head athletic trainer Michael Salazar

Manager Rocco Baldelli and head athletic trainer Michael Salazar

Somebody’s head had to be on the chopping block after the 2022 Minnesota Twins dismal season and it looks like head athletic trainer Michael Salazar is that unlucky soul. The way the Twins front office makes it sound he will be the only casualty but we will have to wait and see what happens down the line. That certainly does not sit well with me or many other Twins fans.

Twins interim pitching coach Pete Maki has been named as the pitching coach and interim bullpen coach Colby Suggs will also drop the interim label from his poisition on the coaching staff. One of these days I need to find out what a bullpen coach does besides answer the phone. I read somewhere where Derek Falvey stated that an assistant pitching coach may be added to help Maki with his duties. It seems like it will only be a matter of time before there will be as many coaches as there are players on the team. I wouldn’t be surprised if maybe some coaches get reassigned, third base coach Tommy Watkins comes to mind but we will just have to wait and see.

Once the World Series comes to an end we will see what the Minnesota Twins off-season looks like. There are many questions and issues to be addressed, it will be interesting to see how things shake out.

2020 Twins and MLB coming to life in spite of COVID-19

Star Tribune Twins beat writer La Velle E. Neal III must have been up bright and early this morning as he posted that the Minnesota Twins will not allow their two oldest coaches, bullpen coach Bob McClure, 68,  and major league coach Bill Evers, 66, to work games this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pete Maki, the minor league pitching coordinator, is in line to step in as the new bullpen coach, while Evers’ role is expected to be filled in the near future. McClure is on the left and Evers is on the right in the images above.